Geology And Water

Water is one of the world's threatened resources: it is also a substance of importance in Geology. For some years I have felt the need for a book that sets out the fundamentals of fluid mechanics, written for geologists rather than engineers. The efforts to repair my own deficiencies in this respect led me along various unfamiliar paths, few of which were unrewarding. This book is the result of my journeys through the literature and as a geologist in several parts of the world. It has been written for students of geology of all ages, in the simplest terms possible, and it has one objective: to provide a basis for an understanding of the mechanical role of water in geology. It has not been written for experts in ground water hydrology, or specialists in the fluid aspects of structural geology: it has been written for geologists like me who are not very good mathematicians, so that we can take water better into account in our normal geological work, whatever it might be. The fundamentals apply equally to mineralization, geochemistry, and vulcanology although they have not been specifically mentioned. It has also been written for the university student of geology so that he or she may start a career with some appreciation of the importance of water, and understanding of its movement.

Lessons can be learnt from the past; from time to time it is useful for practitioners to look back over the historical developments of their science. Hydrogeology has developed from humble beginnings into the broad church of investigatory procedures which collectively form the modern-day hydrogeologist’s tool box. Hydrogeology remains a branch of the over-arching science of geology and today provides analysis of the sub-surface part of the water cycle within a holistic approach to problem solving. The History of Hydrogeology, is a first attempt to bring the story of the evolution of the science of hydrogeology together from a country- or region-specific viewpoint. It does not cover history to the present day, nor does it deal with all countries involved in groundwater studies, but rather takes the story for specific key countries up and until about the period 1975 to 1980. This is when hydrogeology was still evolving and developing, and in some areas doing so quite rapidly. The book has been written not only for practitioners of hydrogeology and hydrology but also for teachers and students to see the context of the evolution of the science around the globe. The History of Hydrogeology will also be of interest to science historians and all those interested in the role that individuals, institutes and nations have played over the years in defining modern day studies of groundwater.

This is a discount Black and white version. Some images may be unclear, please see BCCampus website for the digital version.This book was born out of a 2014 meeting of earth science educators representing most of the universities and colleges in British Columbia, and nurtured by a widely shared frustration that many students are not thriving in courses because textbooks have become too expensive for them to buy. But the real inspiration comes from a fascination for the spectacular geology of western Canada and the many decades that the author spent exploring this region along with colleagues, students, family, and friends. My goal has been to provide an accessible and comprehensive guide to the important topics of geology, richly illustrated with examples from western Canada. Although this text is intended to complement a typical first-year course in physical geology, its contents could be applied to numerous other related courses.