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_{Australia faces a challenge securing its water supply amidst climate change and prolonged droughts. About 30% of the country's water, used for human consumption, stock watering, irrigation, and mining, is sourced from groundwater. With surface water increasingly unreliable, ensuring sustainable groundwater usage is crucial.}

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The Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) team at the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ addresses this challenge. The ATTA facility, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, has teamed up with in ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ, providing one of the most comprehensive noble gas analysis capabilities globally.

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Under's leadership, the team employs quantum technology to measure ultra-low concentrations of radioactive noble gases in groundwater, enabling researchers to determine water sources and recharge rates.

Noble gases act as reliable tracers as they do not easily mix or react with other substances. Their ability to dissolve in water and remain unchanged during geological processes makes them reliable sources of important information. By examining their concentrations and compositions in groundwater, researchers can learn about the water's age, where it came from, and even how different underground water systems are connected. This improves our understanding of the sustainable use of groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions, aids in the management of coastal groundwater systems, and informs on the migration of pollutants in shallow groundwater aquifers.

Beyond addressing Australia's water challenges, the extensive study of our groundwater informs on our changing climate, and Australia, being strongly affected, provides valuable climate archives in its groundwater. This state-of-the-art technology also holds promise for investigating the global climate history through Antarctica’s valuable ice, contributing to a global understanding of environmental change.