Webinar Events

The GSSA are hosting a 2020 Bushveld PGE Workshop to be held in Mpumalanga.

Fieldwork & the focus on geophysics AT Receiver - Pseudo-Science or a method worth investigating. The Audio Magnetotelluric (AMT) signal is generally in the range of 1Hz - 20 kHz with its origin as spherics created by thunderstorms, magnetospheric noise, seismic events, etc. Historical AMT monitors up to five channels at each station, namely Ex Ey Hx Hy Hz. The EM field is a plane wave perpendicular to the ground surface, away from the field source.

Microplastics are tiny particles (smaller than 5mm) found in the environment. They are synthetic polymers and are either produced in its microform to be utilized in personal care products and detergents or disintegrated from larger plastics or synthetic materials (e.g. recycled polyethylene terephthalate items), respectively known as primary or secondary microplastics.

Extractive Remedial Technologies Design and Pilot Testing (MPE, DPE, SVE, P&T)
The webinar is free of charge. Feel free to share the invitation with colleagues and other applicable networks. Please note that the link to the Webinar will be circulated on 30 June.

Investigation for cemetery sites requires the detection i. of a wide range of different contaminant groups, ii. at typically very low concentrations (if present), iii. as well as natural and geological impacts on the proposed developments; and iv. with important safety and human and ecosystem health effects if undetected. The issues of internment and how we deal with the deceased in general transect disciplines of natural science, engineering, and social science. Given the sensitive nature of internment and the established notions of acceptable practice at an individual and personal level, assessment

Groundwater is not private property, and the use of groundwater requires a water use license or a general authorization. This is imperative for most environmental impact assessments, requiring even ongoing monitoring for the foreseeable future.

Public domain borehole information in South Africa is generally stored in the National Groundwater Archive (NGA) and the Groundwater Resources Information Project (GRIP) databases of which both are centralized databases. The GRIP database is updated by the Department of Water and Sanitation, but only covers one of the nine provinces. The NGA on the other hand covers the entire country, however, there is a backlog of borehole information that needs to be captured, and it has limited time-series data.

Alongside the effects of climate change and anthropogenic factors, natural climate cycles have considerable impacts on the hydrologic cycle. In this study, we look at how global climatic oscillations cycles, like El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) affect total water storage and groundwater storage in the Orange-Senqu River Basin by analysing two large aquifers: the Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer System (STAS) shared between Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and the Karoo Sedimentary Aquifer shared between Lesotho and South Africa.

Recent trends in mining and exploration are set to further accelerate the demand and growth of 3D geological modelling software. These trends include the inevitable increase in cost per ton of resource and global economic slowdowns. These require companies to constantly cost-cut during extraction and to improve resource delineation. Add to this the trend that new discoveries are deeper and in more structurally-complex setting, and it’s apparent that a great deal of attention needs to be focused on getting the geometry of a deposit, as early as possible in the exploration and mining value chain, correct.

TALK ABSTRACT  It’s commonly accepted that climate change will be experienced though water, particularly in developing countries. Several studies relating to the impacts of climate change on surface water have been undertaken while very little research exists on the potential impacts on groundwater.

Small water treatment plants are defined as water treatment systems that have to be installed in areas which are not adequately serviced and do not normally fall within the confines of urban areas. They are therefore mostly used in rural and peri-urban areas and include chlorination plants for water supplies from boreholes and springs, small treatment systems for rural communities, treatment plants of small municipalities and treatment plants for establishments such as rural hospitals, schools, clinics, forestry stations, etc.

Science is a living document; it grows and expands as more information becomes available and our knowledge grows. It makes use of hypothesis, experiments, observations, and measurements. Groundwater scientists have a difficult task. They work in a system that is not visible, and they cannot take it into a laboratory to study. They use geophysical methods and drill boreholes to get an idea of the groundwater system that they are studying.

The influence of groundwater abstraction on surface water levels, Victor Ntsako (GSSA)

Presentation 1: Analyses of Groundwater Storage Change in the Usutu-Mhlatuze Drainage Region using GRACE Satellite Data TALK ABSTRACT: The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data interpretation provides an integrated measure of monthly terrestrial water mass changes. The GRACE satellite data has been successfully used to estimate the monthly changes of terrestrial water storage (TWS) including groundwater storage changes. This presentation will provide an overview and application of the GRACE satellite product to

Natural attenuation of acid mine drainage by various rocks in a typical Karoo coalfield: case study of the Witbank, Ermelo and Highveld coalfields, South Africa Sakala1,2, F. Fourie2, M. Gomo2 and G. Madzivire1,3 Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, South Africa Institute for Groundwater Studies, University of the Free State The University of South Africa, Department of Environmental Science, 28 Pioneer Avenue, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709, South Africa ABSTRACT In the Karoo coalfields, mining operations which release acid mine drainage (AMD) are threatening groundwater resources. An important parameter controlling the extent and severity of AMD impacts is the natural attenuation of rocks

In the Karoo coalfields, mining operations that release acid mine drainage (AMD) are threatening groundwater resources. An important parameter controlling the extent and severity of AMD impacts is the natural attenuation of rocks in response to introduced of AMD. Very little is known about such responses for Karoo rocks in saturated and unsaturated conditions, a research gap filled by this paper. Laboratory column leach experiments were used to study the responses of different rock types from Witbank, Ermelo and Highveld coalfields of South Africa. .

One thing that we all know about water is that it always finds a way to get over, under, or through any obstacle that may stand in its way. It is no surprise then, that when we realized that the South African government proclamation against gatherings of more than 100 people meant that our meeting in June would have to be canceled, our amazing team of organizers put the #AllHandsOnDeck mindset into action. The result is that WISA2020 is definitely going ahead with the same excellent sessions and – pending confirmation – the same excellent speakers. And with the extra time we have, we will be able to make sure that our conference is bigger and better than ever before.

About the Talk: Fundamental to the definition of groundwater availability and the management of any aquifer is an understanding of the changes in groundwater levels and storage, recharge, and groundwater discharge to surface water, when the aquifer is pumped. This understanding forms the foundation for the determination of limits of future abstraction and thresholds of unacceptable impact, and provides a tool against which to compare future datasets and make groundwater management decisions.

Fundamental to the definition of groundwater availability and the management of any aquifer is an understanding of the changes in groundwater levels and storage, recharge, and groundwater discharge to surface water when the aquifer is pumped. This understanding forms the foundation for the determination of limits of future abstraction and thresholds of unacceptable impact and provides a tool against which to compare future datasets and make groundwater management decisions.

The Vadose Zone in Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology - Research by UP Geology Join us for a FREE one-hour series of talks on recent research on unsaturated hydraulics and the role of the vadose or unsaturated zone in engineering geology and hydrogeology. The Department of Geology has for the past decade focused on how the soil and rock between land surface and the phreatic or saturated zone behave with respect to highly variable moisture contents. We contributed to knowledge on variably saturated flow through soil, rock defects, karst, and the interfaces between these media.

FEFLOW is widely recognised as a comprehensive software package for subsurface flow and transport simulation. FEFLOW’s unique meshing capabilities (structured and unstructured) allows for the highest degree of flexibility to account in detail for the most simple to complex geometrical configurations. The software is used by leading research institutes, universities, consulting firms and government organisations all over the world.

Following the Talk by Helen Seyler, hosted by the Western Cape Branch on 28 January 2021, Zaheed will further extrapolate on the research into the applicability of machine learning for the forward prediction of groundwater levels and flow regime using results from the dolomite aquifers in South Africa.

Localizing regional-scale groundwater big data using machine learning: A case study of the Ramotswa/NW/Gauteng Dolomites

This study is about the assessment of the isotope signature of rainfall events between November 2016 and October 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additionally, the study uses the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT) to assess the moisture sources and trajectories for rainfall events of extreme isotopic signatures.

This event is to be facilitated by the GWD Northern Branch chair Prof Ingrid Dennis.

Prof CC Bezuidenhout from the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University will explore some of the results from studies in the Karoo and Eastern Cape and will also focus on the quality of groundwater from the North West Province.

This Talk is organised by the Young Professional Committee, GWConfEx2021. The featured speakers will address the importance and challenges associated with good Groundwater Management practices. Not to be missed!

This webinar seeks to initiate a conversation on the synthesis of existing knowledge, case studies and best practices related to agricultural water use and water productivity from the global South and other key global regions.

This webinar series introduces practical aspects of these careers in the geoscience industry.

NOTE NEW DATE. Moved to 18th
Attend this Free TDI Training Webinar. Tdi is a partner organisation of the GWD and we welcome membership to support their events.

You are hereby invited to attend a GAKZN webinar. None Members Welcome! Click on the "Join this Meeting" button to connect directly to this Teams Meeting.

The Dewatering Institute is hosting a free webinar course presented by Siltbuster

TDI Webinar by OGI and Eur Ing Dr Stephen D. Thomas

The GWD call on all members and interested parties to attend this extra-ordinary AGM scheduled for 9 December 2021.
Please rsvp attendance by registering for the evening's proceedings.

Free Webinar, TDI Award Finalist – Equipment / Material Innovation of the year.

The third Groundwater IWRA webinar will present three cases from different continents (Africa, Asia, and North America) to help understand the unique conditions and trajectories under which they developed as well as the institutional frameworks surrounding them.

One of the notable unintended consequential outcomes of COVID–19 pandemic is the rapid and wide use of sanitizers and disinfectants to control the spread of SARS –CoV–2 virus.

Prof Matthys Dippenaar will guide on all professional matters for Earth Scientists.
He will share why you need to register with SACNASP and maintain your CPD.
More on Professional registration requirements, Field of practice, Continuous professional development (CPD)
Your responsibilities and a Q&A.
This event attracts 0.2 SACNASP CPD

Rand Water are hosting a webinar in celebration of the National Water Week from 21 – 27 March 2022. The theme for year 2022 is “Groundwater – making the invisible, visible”, The theme seeks to remind policy and decision-makers, inside and outside the water community, that South Africa is a water scarce country.

To mark UN World Water Day, the University of Birmingham is hosting the 2022 World Water Day Symposium. This hybrid event (on our Dubai and Edgbaston campuses) is held under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair in Water Sciences and UNESCO UNITWIN network on Ecohydrological Interfaces at Birmingham and the University's Institute of Global Innovation.

The Department's Western Cape region is hosting a Groundwater Seminar virtually.

Join us at this launch webinar where we will be taking you on a virtual walk through of the digital dashboard and drill into some of the benefits this tool can provide to individuals and industries alike.

The outcome of the series of policy dialogues is to understand the current status quo of climate services, provide background information towards developing climate services programmes for water, as well as create an opportunity to foster collaboration between South Africa (SA) and the European Union (EU) partners through the SA-EU strategic partnership.

Join us online for this CPD event: WHAT HYDROGEOLOGISTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BOREHOLES..webinar.
Corne Engelbrecht and Reuben Lazarus from one of the leading groundwater consultancies will share their best practice guides.

The Dewatering Institute is hosting a free webinar course in conjunction with Hölscher International Group.

On behalf of the Gauteng Branch of the Ground Water Division of the GSSA, you are invited to take part in the upcoming webinar on groundwater modelling as a decision support tool. The speaker will share his experience and open this topic to wider discussions.

This session will be presented by Joseph Sopko, Director of Ground Freezing at KELLER | Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University.

Please see the forwarded message below regarding an IAEA webinar on the future of the Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP). For all those interested in the application of O/H isotopes this should be of great interest. Please within your networks and register for the virtual event this Thursday.

The GWD Young Professionals are hosting a free online discussion event. This event is open to all people working in the the sector: young and older - to share and discuss current realities: opportunities, challenges and possible solutions to better the uptake of knowledge and experience. Would love you to join in! CLICK ON THE LINK / graphic below TO PRE-REGISTER.

Umvoto Africa (Pty) Ltd case study projects
Winning Award Wells / Drilling Project of the year

We're hosting an event! In celebration of women's month: "Women in Hydrogeology".
The registration link is below. The list if speakers is being finalised and will be shared.