Scientists from the Marine Geology & Seafloor Surveying group of the University of Malta will set out on a 2 month expedition in New Zealand to investigate offshore groundwater systems.

Offshore groundwater systems are bodies of freshwater occurring in sediments on the ocean floor. They form during periods of lower sea level or due to extension of terrestrial groundwater systems offshore. Offshore groundwater systems have been documented in many sites worldwide and hold great potential as sources of drinking water in the future.

Together with colleagues from New Zealand (NIWA) and Germany (GEOMAR), the University geoscientists plan to map a groundwater system offshore Christchurch in 3D using geophysical instruments and obtain water samples to analyse them in the laboratory. If successful, the survey will be replicated in the Maltese Islands in the following years. 

This expedition is the first stage of MARCAN, a five year research project led by Dr Aaron Micallef and funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. 

The MARCAN expedition departs on 7 April 2017 and can be followed on the Facebook page of the Marine Geology & Seafloor Surveying group.

Contact:
Dr Aaron Micallef

Marine Geology & Seafloor Surveying group

Department of Geosciences, University of Malta