DRYLAND RECHARGE ASSESSMENT IN MOROCCO (DREAM): CROSS-CULTURAL EDUCATION IN HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES FOR U.S. STUDENTS

Drylands cover nearly 1/3 of Earth’s surface, host 40% of its population, and are mainly located in developing countries. Groundwater resources are important for water supply in drylands, but mechanisms of recharge are incompletely understood. To address this knowledge gap and examine water-resource issues in a largely arid developing country, we formed a cohort of five students (three graduate, two undergraduate) with a range of backgrounds in water-related disciplines (civil engineering, geology, environmental science, and agriculture). After initial, virtual exercises in GIS and remote sensing and lectures in hydrology and hydrogeology, we spent 5 weeks in Morocco during May–June 2022. Working primarily in the Tensift and Souss basins, we deployed vertical arrays of thermistors to measure rates of episodic infiltration beneath ephemeral stream channels. We sampled groundwater and surface water for solute and stable-isotope analyses; sampled soil and sediment for textural analyses; gauged stream and spring flow; measured clast sizes from bar deposits to estimate maximum stream velocity; and measured water levels in wells. We interacted with Moroccan researchers and students during field work, at a research colloquium, and at a scientific conference on natural resources and sustainable development. We talked with staff of government agencies, farmers, and other rural residents about water management, particularly in the context of drought and climate change. We visited a dam under construction, a reservoir, a museum highlighting the role of water in Morocco’s history, and an abandoned khettara (qanat). Student participants recorded their experiences in digital journals. Follow-up activities will include virtual training in scientific communication and outreach and assessments of student learning. We anticipate that this cohort will mentor new cohorts during each of the next 2 years, with activities building upon the work conducted this year.