Spiky spinifex sprouts in clumps amid a scattering of trees.
Low hills stretch for kilometers, covered in red sand dunes.
But buried under the scrub and sand lies a massive lake whose surface would span half of California. Despite being surrounded by oceans, the country is parched, particularly out west. And recently, rainfall has slipped even more. Even though the west pants for steady supplies of fresh water, enormous aquifers, like the Officer Basin, have been considered too remote and costly to tap as a source for cities or businesses. But Australian mining company Anaconda Nickel Ltd., which has operations near the edge of the basin, is now carrying out extensive tests.