According to a report published in Nature on January 25, nearly a third of the world’s underground freshwater reservoirs are depleting at an accelerated rate. This is the first time that groundwater data has been synthesized on a global scale, rather than relying on satellite assessments. The study, conducted by hydrologist Scott Jasechko and his team at the University of California, Santa Barbara, analyzed water level data from approximately 170,000 monitoring wells worldwide, providing insights into almost 1,700 of the largest aquifer systems. The findings revealed that water levels are declining rapidly in 12 percent of the aquifers, with the fastest declines observed in arid regions such as central Chile, Iran, and the western United States.
2024-01-24 11:08:04
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