Groundwater is very important for the balance of the ecosystem and for the maintenance of human life. After all, they manage to be used for direct consumption, as well as for supplying rivers, lakes and streams. Thus, there is much interest in the scientific community to understand groundwater replenishment and the timing of the water cycle.
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How long does the water cycle last?
To unravel once and for all how long the water cycle lasts, a team of researchers has developed a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters. It contains a summary of a somewhat ambitious project in which an updated groundwater recharge model was produced.
This required them to use a recent global synthesis of regional groundwater measurements. Through this project, it was possible to review previous conclusions regarding supply rates, as well as discover that a single factor could accurately estimate how much water flows into the interior of the ground.
This factor, in this case, is aridity, since this type of climate prevents a complete flow of water to the underground. Similarly, we can state that in more humid environments, replenishment rates are much faster than previously imagined. In fact, it could be twice as fast as previous estimates.
New discoveries
Through this new study, it was also possible to understand that groundwater is much more important for supplying rivers and lakes than previously imagined. This emphasizes the need to protect this very important resource, without which Planet Earth could become unbalanced.
Scientists even draw attention to the fact that these waters are widely used throughout the Planet and suffer a series of threats. For example, the absence of a secure sewage system could damage these waters. Furthermore, it is not yet known what the full effect of climate changes about this feature.
