ScienceJune 16, 2026

hydrogeology

/ˌhaɪdroʊdʒiˈɒlədʒi/

Definition

The branch of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust.

Etymology

The word is derived from the Greek 'hydor' (water), 'ge' (earth), and 'logos' (study of). It entered English in the 19th century to describe the scientific study of water within the earth.

In the news

In the article, the speaker mentions learning about the hydrogeology of the Fermilab site to emphasize the multidisciplinary nature of building large-scale scientific infrastructure.

Ask me anything: Mary Bishai – ‘For a self-professed nerd like me, doing big science is heaven’

Read the full article ↗

Physics World

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.