Water Vision

513 views · Published 7 February 2011 · 7:43 · Indexed 24 September 2026

Channel: USGS · 2011 · Science & Technology

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More information on the USGS Multimedia Gallery: http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/127

Hydrologists with the Nebraska Water Science Center use geophysics to unlock the groundwater mystery in eastern Nebraska. Because the area was a dumping ground for glacial till when the glaciers retreated 12,000 years ago, the groundwater resources are hard to quantify with more traditional surveying techniques such as test-hole drilling. Geophysics uses electromagnetic waves to take a "CAT Scan" of the Earth via helicopter, allowing scientists to see where water-bearing units are likely to be located beneath the Earth's surface and providing a less expensive way to survey this geologically complex terrain.

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