Midday Science Cafe- Into the Blue Again: Water flowing underground
At our first Midday Science Cafe of 2022, we took a look at Earth’s most valuable resource, water, stored beneath the Earth’s surface. First, we heard from Dr. Federico Munch, who took us on a journey deep beneath the surface to learn about the “deep water cycle.” That is, how plate tectonics redistribute water over large distances and timescales via the Earth's crust and mantle. This phenomenon has implications for seismic activity and volcanism. Next, we heard from Dr. Bhavna Arora, who focuses on agricultural managed aquifer recharge, a strategy where farmers intentionally flood croplands to refill underlying pools of water. By studying the effects of varying flood frequency, duration between floods, amount of water, and different soil textures, Dr. Arora is looking into ways to reduce groundwater pollution.
Featuring:
Dr. Federico Munch
Postdoctoral Fellow
Earth and Planetary Science Department
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Bhavna Arora
Program Lead
Carbon Removal and Mineralization
Energy Geosciences Division
Berkeley Lab
Thursday, February 17, 2022 | 12 PM
Brought to you by UC Berkeley’s Science at Cal and Berkeley Lab’s Government & Community Relations Office, “Midday Science Cafe” is a virtual series that highlights compelling and complementary scientific research from both institutions.