Although we may be able to find alternate energy sources, there is no substitute for potable water. Excluding water contained in the oceans and various forms of ice such as glaciers and polar ice caps, the vast majority of the remaining water is ground water. The Earth has approximately 70 times more ground water than surface water. Hydrogeology is the study of water below the land surface. Water availability and quality are strongly dependent upon the geology.
Water exists in the pore space of the rock matrix.
The size and distribution of these opening is critical in determining ease with which water flows and the volume of water present per unit volume of aquifer. The age of the water and the presence of dissolvable minerals are two important factors affecting the quality of the water. Ground water is a tremendous resource of the Earth that must be managed and protected thoughtfully.