If you’ve ever been on the r/GrandRapids subreddit or are in any of the many Michigan-informed Facebook groups, you’ll know that people can’t help but post anytime a helicopter flies overhead. It’s funny at first, but it gets old pretty quickly when the answer is always either patient transport or military training.
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But for once, there will be helicopters flying around that are worth asking about. because they’ll be lugging around a very strange piece of tech. There’s no need to panic – it’s just the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
EGLE & USGS Electromagnetic Survey Across Michigan
Starting the second week of April, the EGLE and USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center are teaming up to conduct airborne electromagnet (AEM) surveys of the land “to study groundwater resources”, according to Van Buren County. It’s expected that these flights could continue for three to four months.
These helicopters will carry a massive “sensor hoop” (seen above) that measures how well the ground conducts electricity, allowing it to map the underground geology and help the EGLE and USGS learn where water is stored. Knowing where water is stored underground is important for people who get their drinking water from underground sources…