The handbook of groundwater engineering

This resource covers the field of groundwater from an engineering perspective, comprehensively addressing the range of subjects related to subsurface hydrology. It provides a practical and theoretical treatment of the flow of groundwater, the transport of substances, the construction of wells and well fields, the production of groundwater, and site characterization and remediation of groundwater pollution. A substantial amount of new knowledge in the field of groundwater engineering has been accumulated over the last decade. In particular, many new developments have taken place in the analysis of contaminant transport both in the saturated and in the unsaturated zones. New techniques for the remediation of contaminated groundwater have been implemented. New approaches in computer modeling of the flow and movement of contaminants have appeared. The problem of modeling the heterogeneity of the geological formations and their effects on flow and transport continues to be a challenge and has been the object of many papers. This information is dispersed in many professional and scientific journals, textbooks, and reports. This new Handbook of Groundwater Engineering attempts to synthesize these facts and to provide this information in an easily accessible form. It contains a blend of professional practice and scientific information. The typical readers of the handbook are expected to be geo-hydrologists and engineers possessing Bachelors or a Masters degree in applied sciences or in engineering, possibly with some years of experience. The first two chapters provide an introduction to the geological setting and the analysis of simple groundwater flow and contaminant transport problems. Chapters 8 and 9 are concerned with the production of groundwater and hydraulics of wells. The last six chapters (22 to 27) provide practical information on the solution of engineering problems concerned with pollution remediation, landfills, and the associated legal and regulatory aspects. The remaining 18 chapters deal with the analytical tools for the description and modeling of flow and transport phenomena in the saturated and in the unsaturated zones. Special attention is given to the effects of heterogeneity and the need to use probabilistic methods to account for the variability of the parameters.