A new technique using dissolved noble gas tracers sheds light on how water moves through an aquifer, with implications for water resources and their vulnerability to climate change.
Instruments and techniques: monitoring
Big Benefits from Experimental Watersheds
Scientific insights from the Agricultural Research Service’s long-term study sites underpin dozens of models and research methods that guide global land management and conservation practices.
Taking an Aerial View Underground
Wisconsin geologists are testing using drones equipped with thermal cameras to measure shallow soil depths in areas prone to groundwater contamination.
AquaSat Gives Water Quality Researchers New Eyes in the Sky
A new data set combining sample data and remote sensing could give scientists the power to make accurate predictions at a global scale.
New Classification System for Lakes Forecasts a Warming Trend
Researchers devised a system of nine thermal categories for lakes and estimate that 79% of northern frigid lakes could become warmer types.
A Digital Mayfly Swarm Is Emerging
Low-cost, open-source data collectors and a suite of collaborative online tools are making big leaps in the field of watershed monitoring.
Mapping and Monitoring Soil Moisture in Forested Landscapes
Monitoring Forest Soil Moisture for a Changing World; Ann Arbor, Michigan, 15–17 May 2018
How Are Sediment Pulses Generated?
A new long-term flume experiment shows that bed load gravel travels downstream in recurring, 10-hour pulses even when water flow and sediment supply are constant.
How Mesquite Trees Gain a Competitive Edge in Arid Arizona
A new study shows that mesquites employ hydraulic redistribution to move water between soil layers in the savannas of Santa Rita.
Studying Soil from a New Perspective
Cosmic ray neutrons probe soil moisture in the Great Plains.