Magnetic resonance sounding dataset of a hard-rock headwater catchment for assessing the vertical distribution of water contents in the subsurface.

Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) measurements are acquired at 16 stations in the Strengbach headwater catchment (Vosges Mountains - France). These data, rendering the vertical distribution of water contents in the subsurface, are used to show their potential in conditioning a hydrological model of the catchment, as described in the article "Magnetic resonance sounding measurements as posterior information to condition hydrological model parameters: Application to a hard-rock headwater catchment" - Journal of Hydrology (2020). Acquisition protocols follow a free induction decay scheme.

[Role of the French Research Institute for Overseas Development (Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, IRD)].

IRD is a French public scientific and technological institution, jointly overseen by the Ministries of Research and Overseas Cooperation. It has three main vocations: research, evaluation and training It meets these objectives by conducting scientific programs, centered around the relationship between humans and their environment in poor countries, in order to contribute to sustainable development. IRD has a budget of 218,9 millions euros.

Resolution of MRS applied to the characterization of hard-rock aquifers.

The performance of the Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) method applied to the investigation of heterogeneous hard-rock aquifers was studied. It was shown using both numerical modeling and field measurements that MRS could be applied to the investigation of the weathered part of hard-rock aquifers when the product of the free water content multiplied by the thickness of the aquifer is >0.2 (for example, 10-m-thick layer with a 2% water content).