Artificial Intelligence in groundwater hydrology: advancing research and water resources management

Groundwater is likely the most important freshwater resource on earth supporting drinking water supply, irrigated agriculture, and several aquatic ecosystems. Yet, it remains one of the most complex components of the hydrological cycle to monitor, to model and to manage. Commonly, groundwater studies rely on sparse monitoring wells, or in some cases on limited and dedicated piezometers (for experimental hydrodynamic and hydrochemical monitoring), geophysical investigations, and time and computationally expensive numerical models. On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence (AI) recently emerged as a powerful tool potentially capable of transforming groundwater hydrology by improving prediction, data integration, and, in the end, decision-making in water resources management. [...]