Michael Engel from the Chair of Remote Sensing Technology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) gave a presentation entitled "Multiresolution Analysis based Assessment of Agricultural Effects on Groundwater Levels" at the ESA (European Space Agency) conference "EO for Agriculture under Pressure 2024 Workshop" in Frascati, Italy, on May 15, 2024. He presented a concept study from the LURCH joint project KIMoDIs (AI-based monitoring, data management and information system for coupled prediction and early warning of groundwater depression and salinization).
One of the aims of the KIMoDIs project is to investigate the influence of agriculture on groundwater levels. For this purpose, an existing model of the BGR (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources) was used and analyzed using feature attribution methods, in particular Shapley Value Sampling. By adjusting the objective function and applying multiscale analysis approaches, previously hidden patterns in the attribution of agricultural factors to groundwater levels could be uncovered and interpreted. In the further course of the project, this approach will be extended, particularly with regard to agricultural proxies, in order to further increase its informative value.
The KIMoDIs project is of great importance for the objectives of the LURCH funding measure, as it enables a deeper understanding of agricultural influences on groundwater. In the long term, it may even be possible to quantify the influence of specific field crops on groundwater levels. This information could help farmers and state authorities to make decisions on sustainable groundwater management and enable better management strategies.
You can find the fully recorded presentation here.
