Knight has spent years mapping the geology of California, using an airborne antenna that pings the ground with electromagnetic sensors. And the results are color-coded maps that show, not just where California’s water is, but where it wants to go. It identifies porous soils that allow water to seep deep into the natural aquifer, where it can be stored and replenished in a system known as groundwater recharge.<\/p>\n
“So, this gives us our architect picture, what it looks like down there, the big picture plumbing system of our groundwater systems,” Knight said.<\/p>\n
But now she’s joining forces with research teams across Stanford and beyond to measure and track California’s water in an even more ambitious way. It’s part of a project called “Taking the Pulse of the Planet,” and a main goal is to build a network of advanced sensors to monitor dozens of variables that affect our water supply.<\/p>\n
“So that we can use sensors in satellites and airplanes, in drones, on the ground, on land to map, measure, monitor all components of the Earth system and human activity,” she said.<\/p>\n
To understand the power of these cutting-edge sensors, we took a whirlwind tour, starting with the lab of Olav Solgaard, Ph.D., and a technology known as “photonic sensing.” In essence, it uses beams of laser light and specially designed chips to probe the water, measuring phenomena ranging from pollution levels to the speed of a flowing river.<\/p>\n
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