A team of researchers has developed an effective technology to carry out very accurate, non-invasive groundwater measurements in previously inaccessible areas. Using the new technology, NMR measurements (nuclear magnetic resonance) are now a cheap, fast and, above all, very accurate tool for mapping and characterizing groundwater systems.

The new technology sends very much cleaner signals than have so far been possible using NMR-based (nuclear magnetic resonance) measurements, and this enables the researchers to make a detailed map of the hydrogeological and geological structure of the subsurface, even in inaccessible areas.

The research has just been published in the Geophysical Research Letters.

«Using this new technology, NMR measurements are now a cheap, fast and, above all, very accurate tool for mapping and characterising groundwater systems. There are problems with groundwater all over the world, and the really good news is that, using this tool, we can better map the groundwater and thereby take better care of it,» says Assistant Professor Denys Grombacher from the Department of Geoscience.

Groundwater is a critical source of freshwater for many billions of people, but climate change, pollution and over-exploitation are making it more difficult to find suitable areas as a groundwater source.

NMR measurements are the only technique available today that enable direct non-invasive measurements of the water content and pore properties of the soil.

Story Source: Materials provided by Aarhus University. Original written by Jesper Bruun. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.