Test students' ability to analyze how land-use change and agricultural practices drive nitrate contamination in temperate aquifers. Assess understanding of nitrate sources and loading (fertilizer, manure, atmospheric deposition), transport processes (leaching, vadose zone dynamics, tile drainage), in‑aquifer fate (persistence, denitrification, redox controls), hydrogeologic vulnerability, and monitoring/modeling approaches (mass balance, isotopes, time-series). Tasks include interpreting hydrochemical data and maps, estimating leaching risk, comparing management practices, and recommending monitoring or mitigation strategies and policy responses.