Alexa Daniel, M.Sc., is a hydrogeologist and Assistant Research Scientist who joined DRI this past December. Based at Reno’s campus, she will be spending most of her time over the next two years developing water resource plans for Nevada’s rural counties. In the following interview, Daniel shares her wide range of experience studying water resources in the West, her favorite book, and an invitation to a network event she’s spearheading for young professionals.
DRI scientists compared data from groundwater pumping meters with OpenET estimates in irrigated land to advance understanding of groundwater use. The new study demonstrated that OpenET can be used to accurately estimate the amount of groundwater used for crop irrigation at the level of individual fields.
New research identifies ecosystems around the world that could be threatened by declining groundwater levels. The research, published July 17 in Nature, is the first time that groundwater-dependent ecosystems have been mapped on a global scale. Led by scientists from The Nature Conservancy and DRI, the global effort brought researchers together from universities, non-profit organizations, and institutions from seven countries.
DRI researchers Monica Arienzo and Daniel Saftner are coauthors on a new study led by the USGS that examines lithium levels in groundwater aquifers used to supply drinking water across the U.S. The new estimates can help health researchers determine potential connections between lithium exposure and human health outcomes.
Climate change will dramatically impact streamflow and its contributions to the Colorado River by increasing forest water use and reducing groundwater levels, new study finds.
A new study published in Nature Water used satellite data spanning 38 years to examine how groundwater-dependent ecosystems (such as wetlands, meadows, and springs) in California respond to fluctuations in groundwater levels. The research can help shed light on how water management practices can best account for ecosystem needs in addition to those of human society.
A new study maps, for the first time, the permanent loss of aquifer storage capacity occurring globally. Researchers from DRI, Colorado State University, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology examined how groundwater extraction is driving land subsidence and aquifer collapse.
Sayantan Majumdar, Ph.D., joined DRI in June 2023 as an assistant research professor of hydrologic sciences and remote sensing. Majumdar, who also goes by the name “Monty,” also specializes in machine learning, geospatial data science, and scientific software development.