Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Global Groundwater Levels Dropping

The most recent issue of Science News reports that globally, groundwater levels have dropped over the last nine years, a trend that's visible thanks to gravity-monitoring satellites.

 
This is especially true in areas where agriculture is increasing, often drawing a higher water demand in dry climates. For example, according to Science News, California's Central Valley pulls almost 4 cubic kilometers of groundwater per year. That's enough to fill over 1.5 million Olympic sized swimming pools- and that's only one region of the globe. Other factors, such as climate change, worsen the problem. In order to reach a more globally sustainable levels, changes will have to be made in irrigation and other water management practices.

Want to learn more about gravity-monitoring satellites or groundwater levels?
Image via GRACE