Master Project Example - Watertable dynamics and hydrological hazards at the STRANET test site at Bolstadøyri

UiB and Norce have been working on a project to test distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) along railways to detect and quantify hydrological hazards, such as flooding. The STRANET project operates a first test site at Bolstadøyri, along the rail line between Bergen and Voss. This MSc. research proposal is part of this project and aims to study the hydrogeology of the test site, in particular, how groundwater flow and watertable respond to rainfall, runoff from hillslopes and changes in river discharge. To achieve this aim the MSc. candidate will analyze watertable data from newly installed continuously monitored groundwater wells at the site and compare these data with rainfall and river timeseries. The candidate will also interpret existing hydrogeological data and geotechnical reports of the site. Note that these reports are mostly in Norwegian, and therefore the ability to read Norwegian is beneficial for this project. The results will be used to build a conceptual and quantitative model of the dynamics of the watertable. Depending on the preferences of the candidate, additional analyses can include the interpretation of additional geophysics such as GPR to image likely groundwater flow paths, the use of drones to monitor how small streams on the hillslopes expand and contract during and after rainfall events, and the construction of a more extensive computer model of groundwater and/or surface water flow from the hillslope towards the test site.