Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Water scarcity is a growing concern worldwide, especially in arid regions like the Middle East facing challenges of droughts and floods. To combat these issues, there is a rising dependence on shallow aquifers. However, the understanding of these aquifers is limited due to sporadic data collection methods.
Addressing this issue, a team of researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in collaboration with global partners, has developed a groundbreaking prototype known as “Desert-SEA” – an Airborne Sounding Radar for Desert Subsurface Exploration of Aquifers.
This innovative technology will utilize radar mounted on high-altitude aircraft to map the water table of aquifers over vast areas, providing insights into their sustainability. This approach eliminates the challenges of on-site mapping in harsh environments.
Lead author Heggy explains, “Understanding the movement of shallow groundwater horizontally and vertically is crucial for unraveling its mysteries in vast deserts. These are questions that have remained unanswered until now.”
The radar system sends pulses into the ground, which are reflected by the water-saturated layer, allowing for detailed mapping of the water table. Discrepancies in the water balance will be evident in the images, indicating the health of the aquifers.
By offering high-resolution data, Desert-SEA aims to revolutionize the study of aquifers and provide valuable insights into water resource management in challenging environments.
2024-05-16 18:00:03
Link from phys.org