Groundwater

Declining water quality poses a significant and persistent threat to coral reefs worldwide, contributing to their widespread degradation. Identifying the specific impacts of water quality stressors is challenging due to the complex interplay of various physical and biological factors affecting reef health. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays a crucial role in transporting nutrients into...

Learn about the groundwater flow system within the Columbia River Basalt Group in the Umatilla River Basin.

Scientists Stephen Gingerich and Adel Haj, Jr. are leading efforts to estimate groundwater budgets across the state. Water hidden beneath the earth’s surface is a vital resource and quantifying its availability is crucial for long-term management. USGS scientists are collaborating with scientists at the Oregon Water Resources Department to gain a better understanding of this valuable resource.

Because of the extreme climate gradients in Hawai‘i, relatively small shifts in atmospheric circulation can cause major changes in rainfall, cloud cover, and humidity. Because it has been shown that cloud water forms an important input at specific sites, we need to understand how these inputs vary across the landscape, or how interactions with plant communities alter direct inputs. Such changes...