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The US has pumped so much groundwater that it's literally splitting the ground open across the American Southwest
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Leroy N. Soetoro
Sep 21, 2023, 3:36:43 PM9/21/23
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-pumped-much-groundwater-literally-
171125641.html
The United States has been pumping so much groundwater that the ground is
beginning to split open across southwestern parts of the country for miles
on end.
These giant cracks, aka fissures, have been spotted in states including
Arizona, Utah, and California.
Groundwater is one of the main sources of freshwater on Earth — it
provides almost half of all drinking water, and about 40% of global
irrigation.
But humans are pumping groundwater faster than Earth can naturally
replenish it.
When too much groundwater gets pumped up from the natural aquifers below
the surface, it causes the land to sag and create these cracks, Joseph
Cook, who researches Earth fissures at the Arizona Geological Survey, told
Insider.
The fissures "are not a naturally occurring thing," Cook said. "It's
something we've caused to form."
The cracks are signs of tension in the Earth, Cook said. They rim large
flat areas of ground that sunk when it lost the support of groundwater.
Fissures commonly occur in the basins between mountains and can damage
homes, roads, canals, and dams as well as threaten property values,
livestock, and humans.
Arizona has known about this problem for a long time and has been
monitoring it since at least 2002.
There are 169 miles of fissures currently charted by the Arizona
Geological Survey.
A national crisis
A recent New York Times investigation noted that the fissures are evidence
of a national crisis.
The Times investigated water levels at tens of thousands of sites across
the US. It reported that the aquifers, which supply about 90% of US water
systems, are being depleted so severely they may not be able to recover.
Almost half of the monitored sites have "declined significantly" in the
past 40 years. And four out of every 10 sites hit "all-time lows" in the
past decade as American groundwater pumping outpaces water replenishment,
per the Times.
Aquifers could take centuries or even thousands of years to recover if
they can recover at all, the Times reported.
Some sites in Arizona are already beyond saving, according to Cook.
Our water use has been so consistent and extreme that it hasn't allowed
enough time for rainwater to replenish underground aquifers, he said.
"Basically, some of these basins in Arizona are so far beyond that point
that it's never going to bounce back," Cook added.
Climate change makes it worse
When climate change is added into the mix, the makings of a "crisis" are
well underway, University of Tulsa law professor and water expert Warigia
Bowman told the Times.
As global temperatures rise, rivers shrink, forcing farmers to rely even
more on groundwater reserves for freshwater, per the Times.
The Colorado River, which supplies freshwater for farmers across the
Southwest including Arizona, has already declined by nearly 20% since
2000.
And if global temperatures in the Colorado River Basin rise another 2-5
degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, as predicted, it could reduce river flow by
10% to 40%, according to The Climate Reality Project.
How did it get this bad?
One of the main issues in addressing over-pumping is the lack of
regulation that exists across the country.
The federal government has almost no regulations against groundwater
pumping, and individual states have weak, variable rules from region to
region, per the Times.
Arizona is no exception. For most of its history, groundwater has been
unregulated in much of the state, operating on a first come first serve
basis, according to the National Audubon Society.
This means no limit on how much groundwater can be used, and people can
simply drain the groundwater until it runs out, Cook said.
Also, it's rare to find studies of groundwater on a national scale. Most
of the time research focuses on a single source or region.
As a result, the severity of excessive groundwater pumping nationwide is
not as easy to recognize and may help explain why regulation on pumping is
so limited.
Meanwhile, damaging practices, like farming crops in dry areas, are
allowed to continue.
If we don't change our habits and allow underground aquifers to naturally
replenish themselves, these fissures will keep growing, Cook said.
"As long as we keep using more than what naturally recharges we're going
to have this problem," he added.
Read the original article on Business Insider
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
171125641.html
The United States has been pumping so much groundwater that the ground is
beginning to split open across southwestern parts of the country for miles
on end.
These giant cracks, aka fissures, have been spotted in states including
Arizona, Utah, and California.
Groundwater is one of the main sources of freshwater on Earth — it
provides almost half of all drinking water, and about 40% of global
irrigation.
But humans are pumping groundwater faster than Earth can naturally
replenish it.
When too much groundwater gets pumped up from the natural aquifers below
the surface, it causes the land to sag and create these cracks, Joseph
Cook, who researches Earth fissures at the Arizona Geological Survey, told
Insider.
The fissures "are not a naturally occurring thing," Cook said. "It's
something we've caused to form."
The cracks are signs of tension in the Earth, Cook said. They rim large
flat areas of ground that sunk when it lost the support of groundwater.
Fissures commonly occur in the basins between mountains and can damage
homes, roads, canals, and dams as well as threaten property values,
livestock, and humans.
Arizona has known about this problem for a long time and has been
monitoring it since at least 2002.
There are 169 miles of fissures currently charted by the Arizona
Geological Survey.
A national crisis
A recent New York Times investigation noted that the fissures are evidence
of a national crisis.
The Times investigated water levels at tens of thousands of sites across
the US. It reported that the aquifers, which supply about 90% of US water
systems, are being depleted so severely they may not be able to recover.
Almost half of the monitored sites have "declined significantly" in the
past 40 years. And four out of every 10 sites hit "all-time lows" in the
past decade as American groundwater pumping outpaces water replenishment,
per the Times.
Aquifers could take centuries or even thousands of years to recover if
they can recover at all, the Times reported.
Some sites in Arizona are already beyond saving, according to Cook.
Our water use has been so consistent and extreme that it hasn't allowed
enough time for rainwater to replenish underground aquifers, he said.
"Basically, some of these basins in Arizona are so far beyond that point
that it's never going to bounce back," Cook added.
Climate change makes it worse
When climate change is added into the mix, the makings of a "crisis" are
well underway, University of Tulsa law professor and water expert Warigia
Bowman told the Times.
As global temperatures rise, rivers shrink, forcing farmers to rely even
more on groundwater reserves for freshwater, per the Times.
The Colorado River, which supplies freshwater for farmers across the
Southwest including Arizona, has already declined by nearly 20% since
2000.
And if global temperatures in the Colorado River Basin rise another 2-5
degrees Fahrenheit by 2050, as predicted, it could reduce river flow by
10% to 40%, according to The Climate Reality Project.
How did it get this bad?
One of the main issues in addressing over-pumping is the lack of
regulation that exists across the country.
The federal government has almost no regulations against groundwater
pumping, and individual states have weak, variable rules from region to
region, per the Times.
Arizona is no exception. For most of its history, groundwater has been
unregulated in much of the state, operating on a first come first serve
basis, according to the National Audubon Society.
This means no limit on how much groundwater can be used, and people can
simply drain the groundwater until it runs out, Cook said.
Also, it's rare to find studies of groundwater on a national scale. Most
of the time research focuses on a single source or region.
As a result, the severity of excessive groundwater pumping nationwide is
not as easy to recognize and may help explain why regulation on pumping is
so limited.
Meanwhile, damaging practices, like farming crops in dry areas, are
allowed to continue.
If we don't change our habits and allow underground aquifers to naturally
replenish themselves, these fissures will keep growing, Cook said.
"As long as we keep using more than what naturally recharges we're going
to have this problem," he added.
Read the original article on Business Insider
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
maus
Sep 22, 2023, 10:22:28 AM9/22/23
to
On 2023-09-21, Leroy N. Soetoro <democrat-...@mail.house.gov> wrote:
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-pumped-much-groundwater-literally-
> 171125641.html
>
> The United States has been pumping so much groundwater that the ground is
> beginning to split open across southwestern parts of the country for miles
> on end.
>
> These giant cracks, aka fissures, have been spotted in states including
> Arizona, Utah, and California.
>
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-pumped-much-groundwater-literally-
> 171125641.html
>
> The United States has been pumping so much groundwater that the ground is
> beginning to split open across southwestern parts of the country for miles
> on end.
>
> These giant cracks, aka fissures, have been spotted in states including
> Arizona, Utah, and California.
>
> Also, it's rare to find studies of groundwater on a national scale. Most
> of the time research focuses on a single source or region.
>
> As a result, the severity of excessive groundwater pumping nationwide is
> not as easy to recognize and may help explain why regulation on pumping is
> so limited.
>
> Meanwhile, damaging practices, like farming crops in dry areas, are
> allowed to continue.
>
> If we don't change our habits and allow underground aquifers to naturally
> replenish themselves, these fissures will keep growing, Cook said.
>
> "As long as we keep using more than what naturally recharges we're going
> to have this problem," he added.
>
> Read the original article on Business Insider
>
>
And we are all going to die, horrible, at the latest, tomorrow.
> of the time research focuses on a single source or region.
>
> As a result, the severity of excessive groundwater pumping nationwide is
> not as easy to recognize and may help explain why regulation on pumping is
> so limited.
>
> Meanwhile, damaging practices, like farming crops in dry areas, are
> allowed to continue.
>
> If we don't change our habits and allow underground aquifers to naturally
> replenish themselves, these fissures will keep growing, Cook said.
>
> "As long as we keep using more than what naturally recharges we're going
> to have this problem," he added.
>
> Read the original article on Business Insider
>
>
Reporting what the New York Times reports is pure time wasted
Likewise, your other sources.
--
grey...@mail.com
Death to the influencers, hung, drawn and cut up is more than they deserve.
Meantime, back at the Estancia, etc.
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