Summary

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 10.

Concerns over groundwater pollution have resulted in the passage of legislation during the last decade calling for pollution control and remedial measures to ensure proper drinking water quality. There are two main types of groundwater pollution caused by man: (1) pollution caused by the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers over agricultural lands, where the source of contamination covers a relatively large area, and (2) pollution caused by industries and municipalities, which is generally more localized. For the second type, because the contamination in the groundwater is localized, the design of any remedial measure requires knowledge of the extent of the contaminant plume. Various mathematical methods may be used for estimating the size, shape, and development of a localized contaminant plume. It is the need for these mathematical methodologies that forms the main impetus for the preparation of this monograph.