UNSAT-NMR

Groundwater in the unsaturated soil and rock plays a critical role in the management of groundwater resources, the preservation of ecosystems, and the mitigation of environmental hazards. Yet, understanding how water is stored and moves through this zone remains a significant scientific challenge. This project focuses on using a non-invasive geophysical technique, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), to better understand water behavior in the unsaturated zone. NMR is widely known from medical imaging, but here it is applied to environmental geoscience to detect how water is distributed in soil and rock without disturbing the material. This makes it a powerful tool for studying subsurface moisture dynamics. However, interpreting its signals from the complex unsaturated subsurface is difficult, and our project will tackle this core problem. We will investigate how the internal structure of soils and rocks, including pore size, shape, and connectivity, influences the NMR signals we observe. We will also examine how these signals are affected when different types of fluids, such as water and contaminants, interact within these pore systems. By combining numerical simulations with laboratory experiments using natural soil and rock samples, we will develop an improved framework for correctly decoding NMR data under real-world conditions. Our goal is to create a more accurate and reliable "instruction manual" for this NMR technology. The outcomes of this research will improve our ability to monitor groundwater movement, detect pollution, and assess risks such as soil instability and landslides. The project also promotes international collaboration and the training of young researchers in environmental geophysics.