The 10 Commandments for Hydrogeologists

  • Thou shall not assume isotropy, homogeneity, or uniform gradient without field evidence.

  • Thou shall not assume wells or streams to penetrate fully or flow systems to be two dimensional.

  • Thou shall not use regional data to make site-specific judgements.

  • Thou shall not use color graphics to enhance lousy science.

  • Thou shall not employ geostatistics to obfuscate poor interpretations or weak conclusions.

  • Thou shall not rely on stochastic methods to disguise insufficient field data.

  • Thou shall not place geochemical interpretations above hydraulic interpretations.

  • Thou shall never regard geophysics as the truth.

  • Thou shall never use a contouring program to make a water-table map.

  • Thou shall never use more than three significant digits.

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