Dr. Stan Davis taught that “ground water” is two words. As far as I know, the USGS standard is also “ground water.” On a related matter, I believe a two-word noun should be hyphenated when used as an adjective.

It will be “ground water” and “storm water” for me until the day that “surface water” is spelled as one word, or pigs fly — whichever comes first.

Marc

Also to save space, can we use “hydrologic” instead of “hydrological?”

Seems to me that I read somewhere that when used as an adjective (as in “groundwater quality”) the phrase is one word, while when referring to the material itself, (as in “the ground water resource”), the useage is two words.

Earl

Thanks for your comments. Just further proof that the big issues don’t elude us here!

Lisa – I like your solution.

L. Kelly -I agree, but think we’re a long way off.

Jane – your comment reminds me of an episode 25 years ago. I was writing a proposal with a consulting geologist. He asked me to proof the final draft, and when I returned it, he noted that wherever he had written “permeability”, I had crossed it out and inserted “hydraulic conductivity”.

I gently explained to him that “hydraulic conductivity” had supplanted “permeability” as the preferred term. “Silly me! Why use one word when two will do?” was his response.

I kept my mouth shut after that.

Now, distinguishing the floodway and the riparian zone, this has become a problem (if you catch my drift).