Tectonic Island: Learn about Groundwater with the 'Tectonic Island' Game

1. Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS PRINCIPAL PLATINUM GOLD

2. Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS Teacher Earth Science Education Programme PARTNERS SILVER • The Australian National University • Department of Primary Industries, Vic • Earth Science Western Australia • Pitney Bowes Business Insight • PowerWorks • Queensland Resources Council • Rob Kirk Consultants • The University of Sydney • The University of Tasmania • BRONZE • Anglo Coal • Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation • CS Energy • Department of Sustainability and Environment, Vic • Essential Petroleum • Flinders University • Gordon Wakelin King • Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee • Hot Dry Rocks • Macquarie University • Sandy Menpes • Monash Energy • Museum Victoria • Our Water Our Future, Vic • Petroleum Geo-Services • Primary Industries and Resources SA • Stanwell Corporation • Velseis • ZeroGen

3. Teacher Earth Science Education Programme Wet Rocks – Learning about Groundwater Using “Tectonic Island” game as a teaching tool

4. Tectonic Island – a water balance game • Key concepts: • A tropical coral or sand island has a finite water balance • You need to balance development (and profit!) with maintaining your water supply

5. Game framework Build houses, and improve their water efficiency Money, time and salinity meter Rainfall replenishes the fresh water Supply bore Tourists arrive on the island to spend money! Fresh water Salt water

6. Groundwater Dynamics – Unconfined Aquifers Water entering the soil Water used from the soil Soil storage (unsaturated zone) Recharge Change in saturated zone storage Aquifer through-flow Groundwater Pumping

7. 1 Fresh water Salt water 40 Ghyben-Herzberg relation

8. 1 Fresh water Salt water 40

9. 1 Fresh water Salt water 40

10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt_water_intrusion_wikipedia4.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salt_water_intrusion_wikipedia4.png

11. Use in the class room • Unstructured observation10 to 15 minutes of ”play”, recording and or discussing observations at the conclusion. Some observations may be: • The faster the development, the faster the water goes saltyIts really random – it just depends when it rains!Improved water efficiency helps keep the island going longer

12. Use in the class room • Structured “games”What is the sustainable limit of development for the island?Set up a sustainability concept – say use a 10 minute time period as your “sustainable” horizon (another activity is to use longer time periods – but this may be more a project than a class room activity). Break the class up into groups to “evaluate” different development scenarios – 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 houses, with or without water efficient upgrades.Run the game – at 10 minutes (or whatever you decide), get the students to report on which scenarios where still “running”, which had failed (and when) and how much money was made.Collectively analyse the class information and determine what would be sustainable developments.Note: It is a game – it is built with random functions, so there will be variation even between similar scenarios!

13. Use in the class room Competitive “games”Who can make the most money in 5 minutes!

14. Links to other topics • Permeability and porosityRechargeContamination (a really BIG issue on a tropical island) – things like septic tanks, sewerage run-off, chemicals for food growing (fertilizers, pesticides), petrol / fuel storage,