Groundwater for the 21st Century: A Primer for Citizens of Planet Earth

Fresh water is considered by many to be the most important natural resource on Earth, and groundwater comprises more than 98% of the liquid fresh water on the planet! Yet, important as it is, groundwater has been ignored, taken for granted, misunderstood, depleted, wasted, and contaminated throughout human history - while pressures affecting its continued availability, quality, and use intensified, especially during the past few decades. Now, author John A. Conners writes, On this small, isolated, and overpopulated planet, the greener pastures of yesteryear no longer exist to support a continuation of humanity's material growth…. If solutions are to be found, unprecedented suffering averted, and the prospect for a healthy, hopeful future preserved, humankind needs to understand and utilize this [groundwater] resource far better than it has done in the past. Groundwater for the 21st Century is a rare, perhaps unique, overview of the science of groundwater; the long, diverse, and intensifying use of this resource by humans; and the need and means for people to understand the science of this limited resource when making or evaluating decisions about its use. This current, big-picture integration of science, resource use, and future prospects is presented in clear, concise, accessible language with the assistance of some 280 diagrams, maps, photographs, and tables. The audience for this book is large and broad, ranging from professionals in many fields whose work requires knowledge of the science, management, and use of groundwater resources to the numerous lay readers wanting and deserving to know more about the status of an essential resource upon which their lives depend.