The latest research suggests we’re in the midst of a global water storage crisis. Since the dawn of the 21st century, Earth’s landmasses have shed over three trillion tons of water. The loss of terrestrial water is most worrying since this may be irreversible, given that we expect its loss to persist even with anticipated global warming. The researchers employed multiple independent techniques to calculate total water loss from 2000 to 2020. Yet their findings highlighted a grim reality – the depth of the ongoing crisis.
On global extent a total of from 2003 to 2016 an estimated 1 trillion tons of soils has disappeared. This drastic reduction in available water storage is alarming many researchers and ecologists. The resulting data reveals a terrifying picture: America’s soil water storage has decreased by about half. From 2000 to 2002, we basically called the bottom of that fall at a 1.6 trillion-ton shortfall.
To estimate terrestrial water loss, the research team used a variety of assessment methods, including satellite gravity observations. To arrive at their new findings, they brought together satellite assessments of soil moisture with measurements of global sea level rise. This method proved invaluable in allowing them to get the big picture. They factored variations in Earth’s rotation, which are affected by shifts in mass around the globe.
Perhaps the most alarming takeaway from their findings is that between 2002 and 2006, Greenland’s melting ice sheets contributed nearly 900 billion tons of ice to sea level rise. Still, even this figure is less than half of the water that evaporated from soils in the same period. This alarming contrast highlights the urgent depletion of soil moisture as a key driver impacting the global water supply.
The total volume of water in Earth’s soils has been on a downward trajectory since the turn of the century. This trend is in step with the increase in Earth’s average temperature over the past several decades. As temperatures rise, precipitation patterns vary, and processes such as evaporation and transpiration are exacerbated. As the climate warms, the land receiving drought conditions is spreading much faster than the land that is receiving the advantage of more precipitation.
Katharine Jacobs, a leading voice on water resource management, urged participants to consider the cumulative impact of groundwater problems and sea level rise. She stated, “It is fair to say that most people who work on water issues are unaware of the connections between groundwater pumping and sea level rise, and if they do know that there is a connection they probably do not understand that the changes are measurable and that they are affecting the tilting of the Earth’s axis as well.”
The consequences of this loss of soil moisture are serious. Benjamin Cook, a climate scientist, highlighted the essential nature of water for all living organisms: “Everything needs water. If you don’t have enough, you’re in trouble.” As access to dwindling freshwater supplies continues to decrease, it poses dire implications for the future of agricultural productivity. It further jeopardizes ecological integrity and the health of our planet’s ecosystems.
Climate change—primarily rising temperatures—is quickly drying out soil moisture across the continent. They compound difficulties for areas that are already suffering from drought. Jacobs noted, “the areas of the globe that are drying due to higher temperatures and changes in precipitation are getting larger than the areas that are getting wetter.” This imbalance continues to present grave dangers for food security and sustainable development.
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