Mapping Groundwater from the Air
Using advanced geophysical imaging technologies in novel ways, we are mapping California's groundwater to enable sustainable groundwater management for the state's major agricultural areas and elsewhere. California's subsurface aquifers are being extensively pumped, especially during years of drought. In some areas, the subsidence, or compaction, caused by over-pumping means that even with abundant rain, the lost water-storage capacity may never be recovered. Negative changes in water quality are also being seen - the intrusion of saltwater into coastal aquifers and high levels of arsenic in wells in the Central Valley.