Groundwater in the Environment: An Introduction

This accessible new textbook provides a thorough introduction to all aspects of groundwater systems and their management. Using straightforward language and analogies to everyday experiences, it explains the origins, nature, and behavior of subsurface water without resorting to complicated mathematics.

Groundwater in the Environment draws on case studies and cutting-edge research from around the world, giving a unique insight into groundwater occurring in a wide range of different climate zones and geological settings. This book:

Provides a robust, practical introduction to groundwater quality, and a succinct summary of modern remedial technologies for polluted groundwaters
Explores how groundwater fits into the wider natural environment, especially in relation to freshwater ecosystems
Considers the vulnerability of groundwater systems and the effects of pollution, climate change, land-use change, and overexploitation
Examines human dependence on water and the effect that this has on groundwater systems
Presents vivid examples of geohazards associated with ground waters
Explains the whys and wherefores of groundwater modeling
Examines competing philosophies of groundwater management, making the case for approaches which take social, economic and ecological issues into account.