University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
El Niño forecasts 18 months using new UH-developed tool
As more attention is drawn to possible severe weather around the world scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are looking to improve planning for possible droughts, floods and other scenarios. Researchers from the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) created a new tool that will allow forecasting of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) by […]
New tool provides wave flooding predictions for West Maui
UCR water expert weighs in on predictions of biblical-proportion precipitation.
‘Machine learning’ improves rainfall mapping, water plans
Rainfall map accuracy is vital in climate and hydraulic modeling and supports environmental management decision making, water resource planning and weather forecasting. University of Hawaiʻi and East-West Center researchers have developed more accurate monthly rainfall maps by using machine learning. According to IBM, machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science that focuses on […]
Pristine groundwater seeps support native algae on Hawai‘i’s coasts
Native marine macroalgae, also known as limu, or as seaweed, thrive in environments created by natural groundwater seeps, specifically benefiting from the combined effects of enhanced nutrients despite lowered salinity levels, according to a minireview published recently by a team of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa researchers. Conversely, in areas where the seeping groundwater is tainted by excess […]
Sea-level rise drives wastewater leakage to coastal waters
When people think of sea-level rise, they usually think of coastal erosion. However, recent computer modeling studies indicate that coastal wastewater infrastructure, which includes sewer lines and cesspools, is likely to flood with groundwater as sea-level rises. A new study, published by SOEST earth scientists, is the first to provide direct evidence that tidally-driven groundwater inundation of wastewater […]
Offshore submarine freshwater discovery raises hopes for islands worldwide
Twice as much freshwater is stored offshore of Hawaiʻi Island than was previously thought, according to a University of Hawaiʻi study with important implications for volcanic islands around the world. An extensive reservoir of freshwater within the submarine southern flank of the Hualālai aquifer has been mapped by UH researchers with the Hawaiʻi EPSCoR ʻIke Wai project. The groundbreaking findings, published in Science Advances, reveal […]
UH, watercress farm conduct sustainability research
Once a preferred swimming pool of Hawaiian aliʻi, the Kalauao Spring on the island of Oʻahu continues to supply millions of gallons of clean, fresh water to the Pearl Harbor region. Today, changes to the environment, climate and continued development of the surrounding areas have called into question its sustainability. The findings are part of research by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers […]
As sea level rises, multiple factors threaten Honolulu’s urban infrastructure
Today and as sea level continues to rise in the future, extreme high tide events cause Honolulu, Hawai‘i’s primary urban center to experience flooding not just from water washing directly over the shoreline, but also from groundwater inundation as the water table is pushed toward the surface, and reverse flow through the municipal drainage system. In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers at the University of […]
Harmful staph, bacteria in Hilo Bay increase with rainfall runoff
A team of scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has published a paper in the Journal of Environmental Quality on how rainfall-driven runoff increases concentrations of harmful bacteria in Hilo Bay. The scientists used culture-based methods to quantify the presence of Staphylococcus aureus (known informally as “staph”), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in Hilo Bay and in soils, sands, rivers, […]