A Study of the Ground Water of the Clarendon Plains.

Abstract

Hydrogeology was formerly considered by many to be an art. However, it has increasingly been shown that scientific methods can be successfully applied. Were it not that many of the facts about a given situation remain concealed and not a few of the processes involved are little understood, the full apparatus of science could be brought to bear. As it is, much judgement, tempered by experience, is needed to offer practical advice in developing ground water resources. The thesis gives an account of a practical hydrogeological investigation of an aquifer system in the island of Jamaica. The background of the study is given in the early chapters, followed by a discussion of the possible generation conditions for the aquifer. The Hydrology and Hydrogeology are discussed, followed by sections on the application of numerical techniques. The thesis ends with concluding remarks on the utility of the methods used and an appraisal of the groundwater water resource situation. Three main groups of techniques have been applied, these are: statistical methods, numerical simulation (groundwater modelling) and computer plotting and mapping. Statistical techniques for processing groundwater data are coming into wider use. These are used to examine relationships between variables and to identify common patterns among groups of data. Not much needs to be said here about groundwater models since their utility and application has long been recognized. Methods for computer plotting of data exist and remain to be developed. They offer the potential advantages of being able to handle large quantities of data and to be able to extract much from small amounts of data. Many of the techniques used are, as far as many hydrogeologists are concerned, simply ‘solutions in search of problems'. Practicing hydrogeologists need to experiment with these techniques and use them in order that they can find out which ones are relevant to their subject. It is hoped that this thesis will help this search for relevance.