The Stanford tTEM project aimed to map the subsurface geology with geophysical methods to solve the water problems in the central valley of California in the USA. This area has been suffering from severe drought for years. In 2014, the worst drought year during the past 100 years was recorded.

The Stanford university-led project had already had a Skytem survey conducted in the region in order understand the structure of the aquifers and surrounding geology. For planning an the artificial recharge site, a more precise and high-resolution knowledge of the geology (sand, gravel or clay) was needed. For this purpose, Stanford University joined in a cooperation with the HydroGeophysics Group to conduct tTEM surveys in the fields of the Tulare Irrigation District, one of the most arid regions of California. The hope was to discover suitable sites for artificial recharge with the high-resolution capability of the tTEM system.