Foreword

This book: Basic Hydrogeology an Introduction to the Fundamentals of Groundwater Science is intended for use as the notes for a typical undergraduate, introductory-level course on groundwater science. The material in this book evolved from the lecture notes of the author prepared to support his teaching of an introductory course about groundwater. The author was the instructor of this course at a few universities and made the notes available for use by instructors at several other universities and colleges who provided feedback. It has been the standard practice in the teaching of university and college courses on most topics for the instructor to assign or recommend a particular commercially available textbook as the foundational material or framework for the course. However, these textbooks typically have 500-600 pages and include much more material than can be covered in an introductory course of the standard length—2 to 4 months with two or three hours of lecture and a laboratory session each week. The extra material in these textbooks can be distracting to the student and the cost can be a burden. Furthermore, the commercially available textbooks are not designed to be effective for the teaching of any particular type of introductory groundwater course but are aimed at the generic needs of many courses.

This book by Matthew Uliana is designed to be effective for understanding the materials that are typically covered in an introductory course with students from earth science departments as well as students from other disciplines such as geography, environmental science, and engineering. Over the past several decades groundwater science has expanded to include many topics. Consequently, introductory courses must prioritize parts of the subject matter in order to provide an overview. This book is focused on the physical aspects of hydrogeology, particularly the fundamentals of groundwater occurrence, flow, and aquifer hydraulics. However, the book also introduces basic concepts of groundwater chemistry and water quality, as well as contaminant behavior in groundwater systems. In addition, it familiarizes readers with the meaning of terms used in many other aspects of groundwater science.

The author of this book, Dr. Matthew Uliana is a senior hydrogeologist in a consulting firm that specializes in environmental science and engineering. He has selected the material with attention to its relevance to solving practical hydrogeology problems. The volume of material presented is limited to an amount that can be covered in a single course of typical length. For readers who want more in-depth explanations, the author provides links to other books that are available free-of-charge from the Groundwater Project. When coupled with the material in those books, many variations of introductory courses are supported.

John Cherry, The Groundwater Project Leader

Guelph, Ontario, Canada, August 2024