Environmental Issues

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Description:  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.

Duration: 7:42