Overview

Water is a natural resource unique to the planet Earth. Water is life to us and all living things. After discounting the volumes represented by oceans and polar ice, groundwater is the next most significant source. It is approximately 50 to 70 times more plentiful than surface water (Fetter 1994). Understanding the character, occurrence, and movement of groundwater in the subsurface and its interaction with surface water is the study of hydrogeology. Field hydrogeology encompasses the methods performed in the field to understand groundwater systems and their connection to surface water sources and sinks.

A hydrogeologist must have a background in all aspects of the hydrologic cycle. They are concerned with precipitation, evaporation, surface water, and groundwater. Those who call themselves hydrogeologists may also have some area of specialization, such as the vadose zone, computer mapping, well hydraulics, public water supply, underground storage tanks, source-water protection areas, and surface-water groundwater interaction, actually each of the chapters named in this book and beyond.

The fun and challenge of hydrogeology is that each geologic setting, each hole in the ground, each project is different. Hydrogeologic principles are applied to solve problems that always have a degree of uncertainty. The reason is that no one can know exactly what is occurring in the subsurface. Hence, the challenge and fun of it. Those who are fainthearted, do not want to get their hands dirty, or cannot live with some amount of uncertainty are not cut out to be field hydrogeologists. The "buck" stops...