Cyprus looking for submarine, underground fresh water

Researchers at the Cyprus Institute (CyI) are conducting pioneering research with the aim to pinpoint submarine discharge points of fresh water in and around the island in an effort to resolve the problem of drinking water shortages.
Fresh water is often discharged in the sea either through leakage in porous ground layers or through naturally formed pipelines, while a great percentage of fresh water is found in underground aquifers on a world wide scale, the Institute said in an announcement.
CyI scientists Manfred Lange, Adriana Bruggeman, Stelios Ioannou and Christos Keleshis collaborated in the research conducted so far using specialised equipment.
They have identified possible points of fresh water submarine discharge which may be used for domestic and farming needs.
As part of CyI – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) cooperation, senior Mechanical Engineering student Katy Olesnavage also visited Cyprus and worked on the project. Her study, “The Design and Testing of a Procedure to Locate Fresh Submarine Groundwater Discharge in Cyprus”, was awarded the 2012 Dean A. Horn Award for Undergraduate Study in Marine Research at the MIT.
The next phase of the research project will include the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) as part of the Autonomous Flying Platforms for Atmospheric and Earth Surface Observations project. The Institute is one of a small number of institutions in Europe which construct and use this type of technology. UASs are financially viable, less harmful to the environment and have the capacity to map large areas in a small timeframe, the announcement said.