KAUST's Hydrology and Land Observation (Halo) lab, led by Matthew McCabe, is using drones and satellites to monitor agricultural water usage in Saudi Arabia. They employ thermal cameras, sensors, and imagery from CubeSats to map crop types, health, and water stress. The team uses machine learning and AI to analyze the images, aiming to promote sustainable water management. Why it matters: This research addresses critical water scarcity issues in the region by providing data-driven insights for more efficient agricultural practices.
KAUST researchers collaborated on a study in Iceland that found a correlation between changes in groundwater composition and earthquakes greater than magnitude 5. The study, published in Nature Geoscience, observed variations in dissolved element concentrations and stable isotopes prior to seismic events in 2012 and 2013. Earthquake prediction remains a challenge with differing views among scientists about its feasibility. Why it matters: Understanding earthquake precursors could lead to improved risk mitigation strategies for urban infrastructure in seismically active regions across the Middle East.
A KAUST and King Abdulaziz University research team is using superhydrophobic sand to grow crops like tomatoes with less water. Superhydrophobic sand reduces water consumption in agriculture, the world's largest consumer of freshwater. The sand was developed by KAUST's Himanshu Mishra and Ph.D. student Adair Gallo Junior. Why it matters: This research offers a promising solution for water conservation in agriculture, especially in arid regions like the Arabian Peninsula, addressing critical water security challenges.
KAUST researchers have developed a passive cooling device that uses gravity and radiative cooling to extract water from the atmosphere without electricity. The device reflects thermal energy back to the sky while collecting water using gravity and a lubricant coating to eliminate water droplet pinning. Tested in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, the system nearly doubled the water collection rate compared to other atmospheric water harvesting technologies. Why it matters: This innovation could improve the efficiency and adoption of solar cells in arid regions by providing a sustainable, electricity-free cooling and water harvesting solution.
Matthew McCabe, director of the KAUST Climate and Livability Initiative (CLI), and his team have been awarded the 2022 Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in the Water Management and Protection category. The award recognizes their innovative use of satellites for water accounting and management, harmonizing data from CubeSat satellite platforms. They produced the highest resolution estimates of water usage ever retrieved from space, using data from Planet's constellation of small satellites. Why it matters: This award highlights the growing role of remote sensing technologies and KAUST's leadership in addressing critical climate and sustainability issues in water resource management within Saudi Arabia and globally.