Is climate change putting
pressure on ground water?
Oceans, lakes and rivers interact with the atmosphere to move water around
our planet in a constant cycle. Changing climate conditions threaten to break
that circuit, leaving some regions bone-dry, others with salt-polluted ground water.
PROBLEM
Evaporation
is on the rise1 The oceans account for 86%
of the evaporation of
water to the atmos-
phere. A warmer
atmosphere can hold
more water vapour,
allowing evaporation
to increase even more.Warm air causes
extreme weather2 The rising quantity of water vapour
causes more severe
rainfall in some places,
whereas other regions
experience longer
drought periods,
increasing the consump-
tion of ground water.Glaciers
shrink3 In a warmer atmosphere,
more precipitation
falls as rain instead of
snow. The melting of
glaciers and snow-
covered mountains is
speeding up, making
ocean levels rise.Drinking water
is polluted4 In near-shore areas and island
states, rising water
levels make salt water
pollute ground water
reservoirs. The result is
undrinkable water and
the loss of irrigated
agricultural land.GROUNDWATERSALT^ WATERRISINGOCEAN^LEVELDRY
SOILCLA
US
LUN
AUscienceillustrated.com.au | 39