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HYDC01  12/5/05  5:44 PM  Page 16






                 16    Chapter One




                  Groundwater development of the Quaternary Aquifer of                       BO X
                  the North China Plain                                                      1. 2

                  The Quaternary Aquifer of the North China Plain represents one   hydrogeological settings within the Quaternary aquifer system
                  of the world’s largest aquifer systems and underlies extensive tracts   (Fig. 2). The semi-arid climate of north-eastern China is char-
                  of the Hai river basin and the catchments of the adjacent Huai and  acterized by cold, dry winters (December–March) and hot, humid
                  Huang (Yellow) river systems (Fig. 1) and beyond. This densely   summers (July–September).
                  populated area comprises a number of extensive plains, known   The Quaternary Aquifer supports an enormous exploitation of
                  collectively as the North China Plain, and includes three distinct  groundwater which has lead to large socioeconomic benefits in























































                  Fig. 1 Location map of the North China Plain showing the distribution of areas exhibiting marked groundwater depletion as a
                  consequence of aquifer over-exploitation of the Quaternary aquifer system (Fig. 2). After Foster et al. (2004).
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