The Estancia Basin will be surveyed from the air in mid-December as part of a multi-region effort by New Mexico Tech and the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources to map underground water sources across the state.
A helicopter equipped with specialized instruments will fly about 100 feet above ground collecting electromagnetic data to help create three-dimensional maps of the basin’s aquifer system.
The Estancia Basin survey is part of a broader project covering several regions in November and December. Flight dates remain flexible due to weather conditions.
The airborne instruments measure electromagnetic responses from geologic materials such as sand, gravel and clay. Researchers will combine this data with existing well logs and geologic data to produce detailed maps of aquifer systems in the region.
Other areas being surveyed include the Middle Rio Grande, Lower Rio Grande, Mimbres Basin and Gila-Animas regions. The first flights began Nov. 15 in Truth or Consequences, with simultaneous surveys near Silver City. The San Acacia reach of the Rio Grande is also scheduled for mid-December.
The aerial geophysical surveys will collect data along pre-planned flight paths to help scientists better understand the structure and extent of underground water resources in the surveyed areas.