Real time - Remote Sensing for Water Table Management

Shaimaa Ahmed Finding Nemo

Problem

• We have a regional unconfined aquifer , we pump water and the water table decreases.

• We need an early warning system that can alert us with water quality data and the change in the water table.

Area of interest

Steps

• Drop a plastic ball sensor in the beginning of the large unconfined aquifer.

• The sensor create map that is used as a base map. (assume time = 0)

• This ball collects data and it transmit to another sensor that is hold in a well within a grid of wells.

• The fixed sensor has its own sensing range which means that the ball may transmit the signal within a radius of it.

• The well sensor is linked to another sensor on the ground which transmit the data to a server ( by satellites) that compares the current situation with the base maps.

• When there is a difference an alarm will be sent to a server.

• the transmutation is done by sending signals to a satellite in real time.

• This idea predict the change in the beginning at the aquifer thus it is a warning system at the end of the aquifer.

Another solution

• The ball stores the water table level in a small chip on it (at time =0) and when it is doing its second trip, it compares new data with stored data. If different then it sends a signal through the previous network

• The sensor ball exists but it is used to collect data from caves and ground water.

Ball PathBall path

Ball path

Ball path

Layout of ground waterWell grids (current and future – fixed sensor)

Range of sensors

Satellite Server

PCs

Ball Sensor (Nemo)

Fixed sensor

Fixed sensor

Fixed sensor

Fixed sensor

Beginning of the aquifers

Piezometer

Piezometer

Through the aquifer or at its end

Cross Section

http://www.karstworlds.com/2011/03/underwater-cave-mapping-sensor.html

Suggested water quality parameters

• http://www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/trends2005/pdfs/groundwater.pdf

What is new?

• The added feature is the hardware that can compare base maps (at time =0) with the current situation (time= t1, t2…t n)on real time.

• The fixed sensors are new because it has to receive signals from a moving object and send it to above the well.

• The well grid concept is new.

What is new

• The ball moves freely (no need to energy source) through the aquifer and by calculating the distance, time - velocity

• From velocity equation get the difference in head.

Difference between two heads

• It can be calculated by the velocity and plug it on the flow rate equation then we get the head differences

• dh/dl = head difference / length of aquifer

How to get the ball back?

• The ball is like a small submarine and it has its source of energy and it can be controlled from above the surface and can be picked from a well when it is within its sensing range.

What is new?

• Further development:• The ball collects real samples from below for

future analysis such as biological analysis

Products?

• New invention (ball sensor that calculate the difference in real time)

• Software managing this invention in the ball, on fixed sensors, servers and PCs.

• Web application, cell phone applications and new hardware plugged on them to work with the signal transmitted

• Maps of ground water (three dimensions)

Products

• Maps and database show water quality parameters and water table differences.

• The well grid installation, Sensors …etc (infrastructure) .

Who may use the system

• This applications may be applied on regional or national level.

• Governments ( how to manage shared water resources among different countries).

• International organization.• NGOs.• researchers• farmers

• On national level, the server must be located in a unit that mentored and shared among governmental agencies, civil society (NGOs), and it has to be published on the net for transparency among citizens.

• On regional level, a community of both countries has this responsibility , the community includes governmental representatives, NGOs representatives.. others.

How to learn more?

• Web applications. – 2d maps – 3d maps new to the GIS market

• Cell phone applications. – 2d maps – 3d maps new to the GIS market

How to learn more?

• If it is required to farmers– Videos on TVs (new market, new hardware and

SW to transmit this information in real time “delay may be hours but not days” )

– Maps on cell phones

•Thank you