Mapping ‘fossil water’ helps achieve sustainable groundwater management in California
Identifying the areas where paleowater or “fossil water” – water that recharged before the Holocene started 12,000 years ago – is pumped for drinking water supply helps managers decide whether groundwater can sustainably meet future demands. In a recent study, researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), CSU East Bay and UC Santa Barbara identified paleowater using three key isotopic indicators…