Groundwater Observation By InSAR in the Gobi Desert (GOBI)

Satellite radar will track how the Gobi Desert’s surface rises and falls to reveal where groundwater is flowing beneath the sand. Groundwater in drylands like the Gobi is notoriously hard to map. Boreholes are sparse, and the terrain is vast and remote. Existing methods cannot easily show how water moves through deep rock layers or how fast aquifers are being depleted. This project combines satellite radar data—which measures millimetre-scale ground deformation as water is pumped out or recharges—with gravity readings, geophysical imaging, and on-the-ground hydrology. The goal is to build a model that translates those surface movements into actual groundwater flow paths and volumes. If the model works, it could give water managers in arid regions a practical, low-cost tool for tracking hidden water reserves without drilling hundreds of wells. The Gobi is a test case; success would open the door to monitoring aquifers in other dry, data-poor regions across Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East. This is a proof-of-concept study, not an operational system, but it directly addresses a gap in how satellite data gets turned into usable groundwater intelligence.