Episode 29: The effect of insects on infiltration
Every 17 years cicadas emerge from the earth to mate, leaving thousands of holes peppering the landscape.
Installing sensors in the groundwater or vadose zone is tough enough—worrying about whether they’ll deliver accurate, usable data shouldn’t be part of the struggle. When you’re working below the surface, every measurement comes with logistical hurdles, harsh conditions, and limited second chances. That’s why METER scientists work hand-in-hand with researchers to design sensor systems that deliver clarity once they’re in place—solutions that are both precise and practical, built for real-world deployments where reliability matters most.
Tracking leaching and contaminant transport isn’t just about data—it’s about protecting water resources, guiding land use decisions, and meeting regulatory demands. But gathering meaningful insights across a landscape means covering more ground with more sensors—without compromising accuracy or draining your budget. METER’s lysimeters and soil sensors are built to meet that challenge, delivering long-term, research-grade data at a lifetime cost that makes scale possible. Engineered for durability and precision, our solutions give you the clarity to understand solute movement deep in the soil—and the confidence to act on it.
See our solutions for measuring solute movement in deep soil
Whether you’re monitoring stormwater flow through urban infrastructure or tracking runoff in untouched ecosystems, the pressure to get clean, continuous data is the same. Site conditions may vary wildly—but the need for dependable, accurate instrumentation never does. METER builds rugged, field-tested systems designed to perform in the most challenging environments—from remote headwaters to heavily engineered low-impact development sites. With simple, reliable deployment and research-grade accuracy, our tools help you capture the surface hydrology data you need to protect water quality, validate models, and guide smarter infrastructure decisions.
Every 17 years cicadas emerge from the earth to mate, leaving thousands of holes peppering the landscape.
Government incentives are sometimes provided to convert marginal lands to switchgrass, but New Mexico Tech researcher Michael Wine wanted to investigate whether switchgrass’s deeper root systems would affect the water cycle both during and after crop establishment.
METER research scientist, Leo Rivera, discusses the ups and downs of his hydrology research in the shrink-swell clays of Texas, why the collapse of a video store got him interested in hydrology, how he got caught on camera by google maps, the interesting development story behind the SATURO infiltrometer, and more.
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