This text explores the laws and equations that govern the flow and storage of groundwater in aquifers. It provides groundwater hydrologists, as well as engineers and planners who deal with the development and management of groundwater resources, with all the necessary tools to forecast the behavior of a regional aquifer system.
Following an introduction to the role and management of groundwater in water resource systems, the text examines groundwater balance and motion, mathematical statements of the groundwater forecasting problem, flow in the unsaturated zone, and groundwater quality problems. Additional topics include hydraulics of pumping and recharging wells, fresh and salt water interface in coastal aquifers, modeling of aquifer systems, identification of aquifer parameters, and the use of linear programming in aquifer management. Helpful appendixes and a set of problems corresponding to selected chapters conclude the text.