Research questions

The specific objectives of SMART are to:

O1. Develop a best practice guide on how to combine geophysical measurements with geochemical characterisation to detect, characterise and monitor OAs.

O2. Quantify the hydrologic budget of OAs.

O3. Predict how OAs will change in response to extraction and climate change.

The specific scientific hypotheses that we will test are: H1: There are OAs offshore Malta; H2: Some of the groundwater is seeping out at the seafloor; and H3: OAs are connected to the meteoric system and they can be used sustainably.