Editing Environmental geology (section)

=== Hydrogeology ===
[[Hydrogeology]] is the area of [[geology]] that deals with the distribution and movement of [[groundwater]] in the [[soil]] and [[Rock (geology)|rocks]] of the Earth's [[Crust (geology)|crust]]. Environmental geology is applied in this field as environmental problems are created in [[groundwater pollution]] due to mining, agriculture, and other human activities. Pollution is the impairment of groundwater by heat, bacteria, or chemicals. The greatest contributors to groundwater pollution are surface sources such as fertilizers, leaking sewers, polluted streams, and mining/mineral wastes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lerner |first1=David N. |last2=Harris |first2=Bob |date=2009-12-01 |title=The relationship between land use and groundwater resources and quality |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837709001306 |journal=Land Use Policy |series=Land Use Futures |language=en |volume=26 |pages=S265–S273 |doi=10.1016/j.landusepol.2009.09.005 |issn=0264-8377}}</ref> Environmental geology approaches the groundwater pollution problem by creating objectives when monitoring.

These objectives include:

* determining the nature, extent, and degree of contamination,
* determining the propagation mechanism and hydrological parameters, so that the appropriate countermeasures can be taken,
* detecting and warning of movement into critical areas,
* assessing the effectiveness of the immediate countermeasures undertaken to offset the effects of contamination,
* recording of data for long term evaluation and compliance with standards, and 
* initiating research monitoring to validate and verify the models and assumptions upon which the immediate countermeasures are based.