ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → Geology

Scientists reveal the first global groundwater map to date

A team of researchers has analyzed a swarm of data and created the first map that tries to estimate how much water is located beneath the Earth.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
November 17, 2015
in Geology, News, World Problems
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Cheap nano-filter scrubs toxic metals from polluted water
Neptune-sized alien planet found to harbor water vapor in its atmosphere
Groundwater pumping is bleeding the US’s rivers dry
Douglas fir forests are buckling under the heat, pausing their growth altogether

A team of North American researchers has analyzed a swarm of data and created the first map that tries to estimate how much water is located beneath the Earth’s surface.

Image credits: Karyn Ho

Earth and Water

We tend to think of the water cycle as something that happens above ground, but there’s a lot of water beneath ground – an estimated 23 million cubic kilometers – that’s enough to cover the entire surface in a layer of water about 180 meters thick. In order to come up with this figure, researchers analyzed data from almost a million watersheds, as well as over 40,000 groundwater models; somehow, they managed to integrate all that together and the results can be seen in Nature. They included information on the permeability of rocks and soil, on their porosity, and all that is known about water table gradients. Another important piece of information was the collection of tritium measurements. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that spiked in the atmosphere 50 years ago as a result of thermonuclear bomb tests, and therefore can be used as a trace marker to figure out if the water has been recycled recently.

So how exactly is water stored underground? Well, in most places, the ground is not fully compact, and there are many pores and cracks through which water can slip. It may seem quite small, but you can reach some huge quantities of water through this. But while that may be a lot, only 5.6% of it is actually integrated in the global water cycle – the so-called modern water. This modern water is extractable and usable for human purposes, “It’s the groundwater that is the most quickly renewed – on the scale of human lifetimes,” explained study leader Tom Gleeson from the University of Victoria.

“It’s the groundwater that is the most quickly renewed – on the scale of human lifetimes,” explained study leader Tom Gleeson from the University of Victoria. And yet this modern groundwater is also the most sensitive to climate change and to human contamination. So, it’s a vital resource that we need to manage better.”

The tap might run out

This raises new concerns about global water reserves, which have been dipping worryingly in recent years; almost a third of the global population, over 2 billion people rely strictly on groundwater for drinking water and growing crops. These resources are also most vulnerable to over-usage. Water is most definitely not an infinite resource.

Writing Nature Geoscience, Ying Fan, from Rutgers University, US, commented that “this global view of groundwater will, hopefully, raise awareness that our youngest groundwater resources – those that are the most sensitive to anthropogenic and natural environmental changes – are finite”.

In terms of the map they created, it shows the distribution of this modern groundwater – dark blue shows where it’s quickly renewed, and light blue shows the areas which renew less often, or which are non-renewable at all. If you overlay it on a geographical map, you see that many of the deep blue areas coincide with mountainous areas. Knowing how much water is non renewable is important to estimate how much water we can still use.

“Since we now know how much groundwater is being depleted and how much there is, we will be able to estimate how long until we run out,” he said.

Tags: groundwaterundergroundwater

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

News

Scientists Ranked the Most Hydrating Drinks and Water Didn’t Win

byTibi Puiu
2 days ago
Environment

New Global River Map Is the First to Include River Bifurcations and Canals

byRebecca Owen
2 months ago
Environment

Mexico Will Give U.S. More Water to Avert More Tariffs

byKimberly M. S. Cartier
2 months ago
Climate

Over 70% of the world’s aquifers could be tainted by 2100

byMihai Andrei
7 months ago

Recent news

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

July 4, 2025

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

July 4, 2025

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

July 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.