The Soproni TIT approached the József and Erzsébet Tóth Endowed Hydrogeology Chair with a request for the foundation’s research group to give lectures on underground waters for both students and adults. Accepting the invitation, Judit Mádl-Szőnyi, Oláh Soma and Teréz Kis-Csitári on behalf of the Foundation visited Sopron on 7 November, 2023, who prepared several amazing and informative programs.
During the morning until the early afternoon, the students of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th grades of the German Nationality Primary School in Sopron could take part in an interactive session. Our team presented the steps and elements of the water cycle at first, then the students could put their knowledge to the test: based on what was said, they could put the names of the processes on the self-adhesive water cycle board. The “Field Table of Invisible and Visible Waters” created this year together with the DUNAKÉKE Association aroused great interest, where, in addition to natural processes, the children could also learn about the effects of human activities on groundwater, such as the dangers of mines, gas stations and agricultural activities. Last but not least, our team presented four experiments, which illustrated the path of water under the surface. The children could observe how fast the water moves through different types of rocks and why? The students examined together the electrical conductivity (which refers to the solute content of the water) of different water samples using a tool. Then a real-life situation was presented with the help of some gravel, water, a plastic cylinder, a plastic storage box and injectors: what happens when a town’s lake is affected by pollutants? Meanwhile, what is going on under the surface and what can we do to reduce the damage? Finally, the children were able to examine the different behavior of liquid pollutants of different densities.
In the afternoon, our professor Judit Mádl-Szőnyi presented her lecture on groundwater “What flows under our feet?” titled in the lecture hall of the Sopron TIT on the occasion of the Hungarian Science Festival. Judit Mádl-Szőnyi highlighted: “Through the water cycle, the waters are constantly changing and moving. We have known for several decades that water moves organized in well-descriptible systems even in subsurface regions hidden from our eyes. Understanding the functioning of hydrological systems is essential for the sustainable use of water resources. Knowledge of underground water flows can be used in many areas of life, from agriculture to nature conservation tasks to the exploration of thermal waters.” During the presentation, aspects of Sopron were also mentioned, as well as the name of Professor József Tóth, who continued his university studies here as a student of Sopron until his defection in 1956. There was great interest in the presentation, which was well indicated by the multitude of questions asked at the end. A recording of the performance can be viewed here.
The program was implemented to the dissemination goals of the National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change project RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00014.
The team of the Chair contributing to the program (from left to right): Teréz Kis-Csitári, Judit Mádl-Szőnyi, Oláh Soma