Page 6 - Hydrogeology Principles and Practice

HYDA01 12/5/05 5:44 PM Page v

Contents

List of boxes ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xii
Symbols and abbreviations xiii

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Scope of this book 1
1.2 What is hydrogeology? 2
1.3 Early examples of groundwater exploitation 3
1.4 History of hydrogeology 3
1.5 The water cycle 7
1.6 Groundwater as a natural resource 9
1.7 Management and protection of groundwater resources in the United Kingdom 12
1.8 European Union Water Framework Directive 13
1.9 Management and protection of groundwater resources in the United States 14
1.10 Groundwater resources in developing countries 15
1.11 Further reading 15

2 Physical hydrogeology 18
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 Porosity 18
2.3 Darcy’s law and hydraulic conductivity 20
2.4 Isotropy and homogeneity 23
2.5 Aquifers, aquitards and aquicludes 26
2.6 Hydraulic properties of fractured rocks 26
2.7 Karst aquifers 28
2.8 Groundwater potential and hydraulic head 31
2.9 Interpretation of hydraulic head and groundwater conditions 33
2.9.1 Groundwater flow direction 33
2.9.2 Water table and potentiometric surface maps 34
2.9.3 Types of groundwater conditions 34
2.10 Classification of springs and intermittent streams 41
2.11 Groundwater flow theory 46
2.11.1 Transmissivity and storativity of confined aquifers 46
2.11.2 Release of water from confined aquifers 46