Groundwater is rapidly declining across the globe, often at accelerating rates. Researchers now present the largest assessment of groundwater levels around the world, spanning nearly 1,700 aquifers.
In addition to raising the alarm over declining water resources, the work offers instructive examples of where things are going well, and how groundwater depletion can be solved. The study is a boon for scientists, policy makers and resource managers working to understand global groundwater dynamics.UC Santa Barbara researchers present the largest assessment of groundwater levels around the world, spanning nearly 1,700 aquifers.
Their findings provide the most comprehensive analysis of global groundwater levels to date, and demonstrate the prevalence of groundwater depletion. The work revealed that groundwater is dropping in 71% of the aquifers. And this depletion is accelerating in many places: the rates of groundwater decline in the 1980s and '90s sped up from 2000 to the present, highlighting how a bad problem became even worse.
Take Tucson, Arizona for instance. Water allotted from the Colorado River is used to replenish the aquifer in the nearby Avra Valley. The project stores water for future use."Groundwater is often viewed as a bank account for water," Jasechko explained."Intentionally refilling aquifers allows us to store that water until a time of need."
The authors complemented measurements from monitoring wells with data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment . The GRACE mission consists of twin satellites that precisely measure the distance between them as they orbit the Earth. In this way, the crafts detect small fluctuations in the planet's gravity, which can reveal the dynamics of aquifers at large scales.
This study of monitoring wells complements a paper Perrone and Jasechko released in 2021. That study represented the largest assessment of global groundwater wells, and made the cover of the journal Science."The monitoring wells are telling us information about supply. And the groundwater wells are telling us information about demand," Perrone said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Global Crisis: Groundwater Levels Are Sinking Ever Faster Around the WorldScience, Space and Technology News 2024
Read more »
Global Groundwater Decline Accelerating, but Reversible with Better Water ManagementA new study reveals that unsustainable groundwater withdrawals and changing climate have been causing global water levels to fall, leading to water shortages and seawater intrusion into aquifers. However, the study suggests that these losses can be reversed with improved water management. This is the first global-scale groundwater data collected on site, rather than assessed by satellite.
Read more »
The 700-Mile Journey to Get an AbortionA former features director at Cosmopolitan, Andrea is a freelance journalist who reports on politics, people, culture, social trends, physical and mental health, and more.
Read more »
This Galaxy Was Already Dead When the Universe Was Only 700 Million Years OldA dead-looking galaxy in the infant Universe appears to have stopped making stars and astronomers want to know why.
Read more »
Tucson's water re-use helps long term groundwater outlookJoin Claire every Monday through Friday as you start your day with Good Morning Tucson!
Read more »
Attorney General Kris Mayes visits Cochise County to discuss groundwater supplyMadison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication, a minor in political science and certificate in cross-sector leadership.
Read more »