<
https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-cracks-emerging-across-us-southwest-scientists-warn>
'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.'
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
