Nile River monitoring to help users respond to fluctuating volume

Satellite of the Nile River Delta (Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, via Flickr)

Scientists from Curtin University in Australia are monitoring the Nile River Basin to help the countries that depend on its waters respond to fluctuations in the river’s volume, according to a university release.

Associate professor Joseph Awange monitors the Nile’s inputs and outputs from rainstorms, drought and human use, then gives the information to affected countries so they can adjust their resource management plans.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite mission provides data for the project. Its two satellites pick up changes in the Earth’s gravity field to help determine a specific area’s soil moisture, surface water and groundwater levels.

Image: Satellite of the Nile River Delta (Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, via Flickr)