Progress Report: October - December 2014

During this quarter, the research team:

• Coordinated the organizational steps for the Radar Sounding Survey in Oman, in collaboration with Dr. Ali Al-Maktoumi of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and Dr. Mohamed Rouchdi of the Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science Hassan II (IAV).  Both provided strong support and scientific inputs to perform the fieldwork in the Al-Sharkia aquifer in South-East Oman during October 2014.

• Performed the Radar Sounding Survey on site in Oman from the 11-23 October 2014. The team performed the survey was with partners from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), SQU, and IAV. A team from the Omani Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR) was also invited to participate.

• Shared and discussed the raw data and the preliminary interpretation of the results of the survey through a webex teleconference.

• Annamaria Mazzoni of Caltech presented some of the project results on forecasting aquifers dynamics at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in 2014 in San Francisco.

In the upcoming quarter, the research team will:

• Draft a paper that will present the final results of the Omani Radar Sounding Survey. This will be used to plan the future steps and goals of the mission.

• Coordinate a meeting to be hosted in Rabat, Morocco, in which the future agenda will be discussed and planned.

• Consider additional project activities, which could include an airborne survey in Oman, a ground survey in Morocco and/or a training on airborne sounding in Western Michigan University for SQU and IAV.