Ground Water Hydrology: Theory and Practice

Description

Groundwater, water that occurs below the surface of Earth, where it occupies all or part of the void spaces in soils or geologic strata. It is also called subsurface water to distinguish it from surface water, which is found in large bodies like the oceans or lakes or which flows overland in streams. Both surface and subsurface water are related through the hydrologic cycle (the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-atmosphere system). Hydrology is the science that treats the waters of the earth, their occurrence, circulation and distribution, their chemical and physical properties, and their reaction with their environment, including their relation to living things. The domain of hydrology embraces the full life history of water on the earth. Ground-water hydrology is the subdivision of the science of hydrology that deals with the occurrence, movement, and quality of water beneath the Earth's surface. It is interdisciplinary in scope in that it involves the application of the physical, biological, and mathematical sciences. It is also a science whose successful application is of critical importance to the welfare of mankind. Because ground-water hydrology deals with the occurrence and movement of water in an almost infinitely complex subsurface environment, it is, in its most advanced state, one of the most complex of the sciences. This book presents a comprehensive discussion of basics of groundwater hydrology, its hydrologic and engineering aspects and the mechanics involved in the study of flow of groundwater.