Applied Hydrogeochemistry: Fundamentals, Solutes, and Isotopes

Groundwater flow systems can be evaluated by solute and isotopic methods, both powerful tools for students and professionals in hydrogeology. This accessible textbook provides foundational knowledge and promotes a comprehensive understanding users need to fully evaluate both the solute and isotopic aspects of groundwater. It focuses on groundwater chemistry and discusses the most important solutes, stable and radiogenic isotopes, and groundwater age dating – topics often inadequately treated or ignored in other texts. The reader will find chapters on equilibria, gases, kinetics, organic compounds, and the most important species: carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, silica, noble gas, and chloride, and stable isotopes, groundwater dating, graphical methods, and geothermometers. Features Presents a balanced approach between solutes and isotopes, the first book of its kind to do so. Explains in detail how to apply stable isotopic data to help solve groundwater problems. Describes the appropriate groundwater dating tools for both young and old groundwater and how to apply the tools. Provides the reader with the background knowledge necessary to conceptualize the geochemical evolution of a groundwater system before using a geochemical modeling program. Examines how geothermometers and graphical methods can be used to illustrate chemical evolution. This textbook is an excellent resource for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students taking courses in groundwater chemistry that are taught in departments of geology, physical geography, environmental science, and environmental engineering, as well as for researchers and working professionals involved with water and groundwater.