Hydrogeology
Hydrogeology is a branch of geology which includes the study of rocks and the structures that are formed over past periods of time. Hydrogeology is important now a days as some parts of the world are blessed with frequent rainfall and plentiful surface water resources, but most countries need to use the water that is stored underground to supplement their needs. Hydro geologists can help by locating suitable reserves and by assessing how much water it is possible to extract without permanently damaging underground aquifers or surrounding ecosystems. Groundwater is a global resource of fundamental significance. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s water supply is provided from groundwater.
Many of the world’s regions and nations are close to 100% dependent on groundwater for water supply, including most of the world’s mega-cities, and the under-developed rural areas of Asia, Africa and South America. Also, groundwater is the world’s primary source for irrigation, crucial for global food security; and groundwater supports the springs, streams and rivers that underpin many ecologically significant wetland habitats. Hydrogeology is the study of the geological and hydrological processes that control groundwater flow and groundwater quality, and is therefore a primary component of any environmental geoscience programme. Hydrogeological research provides the scientific foundation for managing and protecting the world’s groundwater resources.
- Groundwater exploration, resource assessment and development
- Interface models for fresh-salt groundwater flow
- Hydro geochemical analysis and evaluation of groundwater
- Water and mineral resources evaluations
- Contaminated site assessment and remediation
- Economics of hydrogeological systems
- Hydrogeological modeling