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If you could see through the surface of the earth, you'd realize that in many places extensive water resources can be found.
In rural Australia, for example, farmers and graziers often sink bores to bring water to the surface from artesian basins - underground geological structures that trap water under pressure. You'll see windmills on many farms as well, using wind energy to pump water from hidden aquifers - layers of porous rock that soak up water like a sponge. In irrigation areas, vast quantities of bore water supply thousands of hectares of crops and pastures.
Even in our cities, aquifers can store and carry large volumes of water. For example, Just below the surface of the nations' most populated city - Sydney - the Botany aquifer carries enough to supply thousands of people in the Eastern suburbs with pure fresh drinking water.
We now know that many of these groundwaters have intimate connections with the surface. In some cases, they sustain deep-rooted trees living in deserts. In others, they help maintain the surface flow in our vital rivers. Some rise to the surface in places, creating natural springs or short streams that dive below ground again a few kilometers away.
Yet the connectedness of ground and surface water is poorly understood and, if Australians are to live sustainably into the future, we need to know a lot more about them and how to manage and use them wisely.
In this Resources section of the site, you'll find information intended for members of the public and students. Apart from keeping you up to date with the latest news, the UNSW Connected Waters team is building up a store of fact sheets, background articles, images, resources for high school students and video footage. We hope you'll find a wealth of useful and informative ways to learn about and stay abreast of our growing understanding of this vital water resource.
In rural Australia, for example, farmers and graziers often sink bores to bring water to the surface from artesian basins - underground geological structures that trap water under pressure. You'll see windmills on many farms as well, using wind energy to pump water from hidden aquifers - layers of porous rock that soak up water like a sponge. In irrigation areas, vast quantities of bore water supply thousands of hectares of crops and pastures.
Even in our cities, aquifers can store and carry large volumes of water. For example, Just below the surface of the nations' most populated city - Sydney - the Botany aquifer carries enough to supply thousands of people in the Eastern suburbs with pure fresh drinking water.
We now know that many of these groundwaters have intimate connections with the surface. In some cases, they sustain deep-rooted trees living in deserts. In others, they help maintain the surface flow in our vital rivers. Some rise to the surface in places, creating natural springs or short streams that dive below ground again a few kilometers away.
Yet the connectedness of ground and surface water is poorly understood and, if Australians are to live sustainably into the future, we need to know a lot more about them and how to manage and use them wisely.
In this Resources section of the site, you'll find information intended for members of the public and students. Apart from keeping you up to date with the latest news, the UNSW Connected Waters team is building up a store of fact sheets, background articles, images, resources for high school students and video footage. We hope you'll find a wealth of useful and informative ways to learn about and stay abreast of our growing understanding of this vital water resource.