Aarhus Universitets segl

Availability of clean water to sustain human existence is one of the major global challenges immediately and in the future. Water, and in particular fresh water is therefore a crucial resource to understand and protect

At the Department of Geoscience we have always had a strong focus on investigation of groundwater and its interaction with surface water. Where is the water; how is it flowing; how well is it protected, and how much can be extracted in a sustainable manner. These are some of the questions we work with. A key research focus has evolved around geophysical investigations of the subsurface where large areas are mapped using helicopters or towed instruments at the surface.

Focus areas:

  • Groundwater-surface water interactions in relation to climate change and water abstraction challenges globally.
  • Development of electromagnetic geophysical instruments for high-resolution subsurface mapping
  • Modelling of geophysical data and their integration into groundwater models
  • Development of mapping strategies for aquifer vulnerability to anthropogenic pollution, saltwater intrusion in coastal regions, and mapping of landfills, and monitoring of contaminated groundwater flows.
  • Numerical groundwater modelling and improvement of uncertainty estimates for improved decision models
  • Groundwater-surface water interaction.Drinking water quality and life-long public health