A study by an international research group in the journal “Nature Climate Change” refers to a dramatic development in a changing climate: The natural groundwater Reservoirs shrink. In the next 100 years, probably only half the groundwater reserves are replenished in the world. Despite the extreme rainfall, the reservoir can be due to the increasingly frequent periods of dry not again recover. The consequences will be but only with a large time delay is noticeable, according to the researchers.
in Germany, meteorologists are sounding the Alarm: The December 2016 the driest was in 1963 – so for 53 years. According to the balance sheet of the German weather service, the hottest year was the year of 2018 in addition, since the beginning of weather records in 1881. The problem with long periods of drought is that the water tank can not be filled in, as a rule, one-time strong rainfall. Particularly heavy rain flows down the superficial, instead of the water seeps into the deeper layers.
For the study of the ground water, the scientists used computer models on the basis of groundwater data. The results alarmed the researchers: “This could be described as environmental time-bomb, because all of the now occurring impacts of climate change on the groundwater recharge flows until a long time later, completely on the basis of drainage or wetlands will have an impact,” said Mark Cuthbert of the faculty of earth and ocean Sciences at Cardiff University, to the AFP news Agency.
The process in which rain water is filtered and in the deeper layers of the earth as the ground water accumulates, it could take centuries. The exact time varies from Region to Region. Particularly in already dry areas like the Sahara, this process could take several thousand years. Lack of water in the underground storages, are nature and animals is threatened, the agriculture is affected. A higher concentration of pollutants in the remaining water.
daily mirror Background of energy & climate
try it Now for free!
humanity was this problem not aware of it, complained Cuthbert: “groundwater is out of sight and out of the heads, this massive hidden resource, the people do not think much, although they support the global production of food.” Already today, ground water supplies are threatened by the rapidly growing number of people on earth and the concomitant increase in food production. (with AFP)
Published by EurActiv.
More about
US President, Trump scoffs at climate change and global warming
Kai Portmann
The daily mirror, and for the online political magazine EurActiv cooperate with each other.