Hydrogeology in North America: past and future

摘要: This paper is a retrospective on the evolution of hydrogeology in North America over past two centuries, and brief speculation its future. The history marked by developments many different fields such as groundwater hydrology, soil mechanics, science, economic geology, petroleum engineering, structural geochemistry, geophysics, marine more recently, ecology. field has been enriched contributions distinguished researchers from all these fields. At present, transition state discovering new resources exploiting them efficiently for maximum benefit, to one judicious management finite, interconnected that are vital sustenance humans other living things. future likely be dictated subtle balance with which hydrological, erosional, nutritional cycles function, decision technological society either adapt constraints imposed balance, or continue exploit hydrogeological systems benefit. Although there now trend towards ecological environmental awareness, human attitudes could change should large parts populated world subjected stresses droughts last decades.