OUR EVOLVING HYDROGEOLOGIC SCIENCE: A 59-YEAR PERSPECTIVE

Notable advancements reflecting the history of hydrology appear in individual and collections of papers, together with lifelong administrative and educational contributions that shaped our science, e.g., Darcy’s Law, effective grain-diameter of filter sands, flow of blood in capillaries, flow nets, Theim and Theis equations, theory of consolidation, O.E. Meinzer and the USGS, the Maxey School. Some contributions broke new ground, introduced new ways of thinking or stimulated synergistic interactions. Parallel and independent developments that advanced the science include evolving principles of geology and the hydrologic cycle, growth of bench chemistry to unravel complex aqueous systems, improvement in field/laboratory equipment and analytical methods, more accurate analysis of well field, aquifer and groundwater basins coupled with development of analog models, high speed computers and digital numerical flow and transport models.

In 1960 few universities offered advanced studies in hydrogeology. The terms “environmental geology/science” were not mentioned nor emerging concepts introduced other than by ecologists. Development of earth system science level of thinking, momentum and power attempting to model man’s influence on complexly coupled natural systems, understanding forcing functions and climate change, TSPA methodologies applied to the isolation of nuclear wastes are but three noteworthy examples. These require a “cascade of models”, extensive and reliable data sources, new instruments, sensors, and methods to manage and mine large data sets. Hydrogeologists have been at the forefront of integrative thinking, e.g., development of environmental geology/science, fluid flow and development of ore deposits, evolution of sedimentary basins, understanding ocean-margins and other geologic processes.