Posted 14 October 2010
Three members of the team presented at the conference.
UNSW groundwater researchers participated in the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) 38th Congress, held in Krakow, Poland, from 12-17th September 2010. The researchers are working on programs of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training as part of the Connected Waters Initiative.
The UNSW team was among over 300 hydrologists and hydrogeologists from around the world who heard how groundwater science is helping to preserve aquifer water quality.
The congress program included sessions on groundwater quality sustainability, groundwater and dependent ecosystems, surface-water groundwater interactions, mineral and thermal waters.
During the week long congress, Dr Martin Andersen presented a paper that investigates recharge pathways and recharge rates using environmental isotopes (2H, 18O, 14C and 3H) in the Maules Creek Catchment, Australia.
Andrew McCallum was amongst the speakers provoking much discussion. His presentation focused on surface water groundwater interactions and presented field evidence of temporal change in the Namoi riverbed hydraulic conductivity linked to flood events.
Research pointing out the advantages of using natural heat as a tracer to quantify streambed vertical water flow as well as possible artefacts due to realistic field conditions was presented by Gabriel Rau.
The UNSW team much enjoyed the effusive Polish hospitality during the well organised event in beautiful Krakow. On the agenda was a visit in the world-famous Wieliczka Salt Mine, a Gala Dinner as well as two big concerts that were especially organised for the congress participants.
Abstracts and papers by CWI at the 38th IAH Congress will be available soon.
Links:
Professor Andy Baker features in American Water Resources Association ‘Water Resources Impact’, September 2020 edition.
The Connected Waters Initiative (CWI) is pleased to welcome Taylor Coyne to its network as a postgraduate researcher. If you’re engaged in research at a postgraduate level, and you’re interested in joining the CWI network, get in touch! The CWI network includes multidisciplinary researchers across the Schools of Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Languages and Law.
The Grand Challenge on Rapid Urbanisation will establish Think Deep Australia, led by Dr Marilu Melo Zurita, to explore how we can use our urban underground spaces for community benefit.
On the 21 August 2020, CWI researchers made a submission to the National Water Reform Inquiry, identifying priority areas and making a number of recommendations as to how to achieve a sustainable groundwater future for Australia.
Results published from a research project between the Land Development Department (LDD) Thailand and UNSW has demonstrated how 2-dimensional mapping can be used to understand soil salinity adjacent to a earthen canal in north east Thailand (Khongnawang et al. 2020).