Undercurrents – The Hidden Knowledge of Groundwater
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
5 episodes
9 months ago
Out of sight, out of mind. For most of humanity’s existence, this has been the extent of our perception of groundwater. But in the 21st century, the pressures of growing populations and increasingly industrialized societies has pushed the importance and fragility of all water resources to the very front of the critical concerns of this new age. By the late 20th century, many countries had taken significant steps to improve and maintain the quality of their lakes and rivers, and most people are reasonably familiar with the hydrological cycle and the cultural and economic benefits derived from keeping their surface waters clean. Yet to many, groundwater, much like the deep oceans, remains relatively unknown.
This series will share the hidden secrets of groundwater with the listener, from the earliest myths and conjectures about the mysterious waters that lie beneath our feet, through the scientific breakthroughs in comprehension of groundwater, and out to the frontlines with the scientists, specialists and citizens who are working towards understanding and solving the daunting challenge of sustaining our groundwater resources for future generations.
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Out of sight, out of mind. For most of humanity’s existence, this has been the extent of our perception of groundwater. But in the 21st century, the pressures of growing populations and increasingly industrialized societies has pushed the importance and fragility of all water resources to the very front of the critical concerns of this new age. By the late 20th century, many countries had taken significant steps to improve and maintain the quality of their lakes and rivers, and most people are reasonably familiar with the hydrological cycle and the cultural and economic benefits derived from keeping their surface waters clean. Yet to many, groundwater, much like the deep oceans, remains relatively unknown.
This series will share the hidden secrets of groundwater with the listener, from the earliest myths and conjectures about the mysterious waters that lie beneath our feet, through the scientific breakthroughs in comprehension of groundwater, and out to the frontlines with the scientists, specialists and citizens who are working towards understanding and solving the daunting challenge of sustaining our groundwater resources for future generations.
Undercurrents – The Hidden Knowledge of Groundwater
19 minutes 15 seconds
9 years ago
Episode 2 – Apprehending the Apparition
When modern science first began to coalesce in the 19th century, its first global superstar, Alexander von Humboldt, described the arduous task of collecting accurate data to obtain verifiable explanations for natural phenomena as “apprehending the apparition.” Doctors, engineers and scientists across the globe made key discoveries that together laid the foundation for today’s field of hydrogeology and made the task of understanding groundwater possible. Find out about Darcy’s law, cholera in London, and just how much of the world’s available freshwater is actually groundwater. (The answer will surprise you!)
Undercurrents – The Hidden Knowledge of Groundwater
Out of sight, out of mind. For most of humanity’s existence, this has been the extent of our perception of groundwater. But in the 21st century, the pressures of growing populations and increasingly industrialized societies has pushed the importance and fragility of all water resources to the very front of the critical concerns of this new age. By the late 20th century, many countries had taken significant steps to improve and maintain the quality of their lakes and rivers, and most people are reasonably familiar with the hydrological cycle and the cultural and economic benefits derived from keeping their surface waters clean. Yet to many, groundwater, much like the deep oceans, remains relatively unknown.
This series will share the hidden secrets of groundwater with the listener, from the earliest myths and conjectures about the mysterious waters that lie beneath our feet, through the scientific breakthroughs in comprehension of groundwater, and out to the frontlines with the scientists, specialists and citizens who are working towards understanding and solving the daunting challenge of sustaining our groundwater resources for future generations.
