Research

The Center for Groundwater Evaluation and Management

The GEM Center is a research center that provides a multidisciplinary/crosscutting approach to groundwater evaluation and management. The focus of research is the integration of data, acquired across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, to monitor and model subsurface hydrologic processes.

The defining characteristic of the GEM Center is the use of geophysical data as an essential part of all aspects of groundwater evaluation and management. Central to our approach is the establishment of partnerships that allow the GEM Center to demonstrate state-of-the-science solutions to "real-world" problems.

In this way, we hope to play a key role in encouraging the adoption of new approaches, and new technologies, for addressing the challenging problems we face in the evaluation and management of our groundwater resources.

Taking the Pulse of the Planet

Our Vision: A global network of sensors - satellite, airborne, land/water-based  - to support the adaptive management of planetary health and human activities.

Sensor-based systems can transform the approach to addressing critical issues related to climate change, sustainability, and equity by providing the essential measurements and modeling needed, with the spatial and temporal sampling needed, to understand the functioning of Earth systems and the intersection with human activities, and to inform the development and implementation of new policies.

Taking the Pulse of the Watershed

In this project, we aim to support sustainable water management thought the development of a sensor-informed analytical framework that will allow us to accurately quantify connected changes in human-ecological-hydrologic systems across scales and varying climatic, topographic, geologic, and landcover settings. This project is a component of the larger Taking the Pulse of the Planet research and teaching initiative.

The Groundwater Architecture Project (GAP)

The GAP has been conducted over the past two years to serve as a pilot project exploring how best to acquire and utilize airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data throughout California to meet the data needs of groundwater management –specifically, mapping out the large-scale structure of groundwater systems. Motivated by the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014, this project aimsto determine the optimal workflow required to use the AEM method as the basis for sustainable groundwatermanagement. Our vision: that the geophysical imaging method will be adopted for groundwater management throughout the state.