Water is a vital resource for people and the environment.
Water is a vital resource for people and the environment. One of the most important sources is groundwater which is renewed from precipitation or surface water. Population growth as well as agriculture and industry strongly influence the quantity and quality of groundwater. To be able to investigate groundwater resources more easily, cost-effectively and comprehensively than in the past, researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a new method with Australian colleagues which they are now unveiling in the Reviews of Geophysics journal.
According to the German Environment Agency, more than 70 percent of drinking water originates from groundwater in Germany alone. Production is increasing so rapidly across the world that groundwater levels are falling, quality is deteriorating and whole cities are facing groundwater-related subsidence. Therefore, it is important to explore subsurface properties for managing resources more sustainably.
“Current testing methods require active pumping of water from a specially designed water extraction well while observing the water level in other wells in the vicinity,” says Dr. Gabriel Rau from the Institute of Applied Geosciences (AGW) at KIT. To do this, two or three people would need to set up a pump test and supervise measurements for an extended period of time. This method is very expensive, can last anywhere from a few hours to several months depending on the subsurface properties, and the result is only valid for the tested location. “Underground aquifers vary greatly in space, and it is much too expensive and intrusive to build extraction wells everywhere.”
Read more at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Image: Gabriel Rau gathers data about subsurface properties at a well. The findings enable sustainable use of groundwater resources. (Credit: Ian Acworth)
