News Arena

Join us

Home
/

warming-groundwater-a-threat-to-plant-animal-life

International

Warming groundwater a threat to plant, animal life

Warmer groundwater is harmful for the rich array of life found underground – and for the many plants and animals that depend on groundwater for their survival.

News Arena Network - Sydney - UPDATED: June 6, 2024, 06:31 AM - 5 mins read

Warmer groundwater is harmful for the rich array of life found underground – and for the many plants and animals that depend on groundwater for their survival.

Warming groundwater a threat to plant, animal life

If warmer groundwater flows into a river or lake, it will add to the extra heat from the sun. This could mean fish and other species will find it too warm to survive. Warm waters also hold less oxygen. Lack of oxygen in rivers and lakes have already become a major cause of mass fish deaths. (For representation only).


Under your feet lies the world’s biggest reservoir. Groundwater makes up a whopping 97% of all usable freshwater. Where is it? In the voids between grains and cracks within rocks. We see it when it rises to the surface in springs, in caves, or when we pump it up for use.


While groundwater is often hidden, it underpins ecosystems around the world and is a vital resource for people.

 

You might think groundwater would be protected from climate change, given it is underground. But this is no longer the case. As the atmosphere continues to heat up, more and more heat is penetrating underground. There is already considerable evidence that the subsurface is warming. The heat shows up in temperature measurements taken in boreholes around the world.

 

A team of international scientists have combined knowledge to model how groundwater will heat up in the future. Under a realistic middle of the road greenhouse gas emission scenario, with a projected mean global atmospheric temperature rise of 2.7°C, groundwater will warm by an average of 2.1°C by 2100, compared to 2000.

 

This warming varies by region and is delayed by decades compared to the surface, because it takes time to heat up the underground mass. Results can be accessed by everyone globally.

 

Why does it matter? You might wonder what the consequences of hotter groundwater will be.

 

First, the good news. Warming beneath the land’s surface is trapping 25 times less energy than the ocean, but it is still significant. This heat is stored in layers down to tens of metres deep, making it easier to access. We could use this extra heat to sustainably warm our homes by tapping into it just a few meters below the surface.

 

The heat can be extracted using heat pumps, powered by electricity from renewable energies. Geothermal heat pumps are surging in popularity for space heating across Europe.

 

Unfortunately, the bad news is likely to far outweigh the good. Warmer groundwater is harmful for the rich array of life found underground – and for the many plants and animals that depend on groundwater for their survival. Any changes in temperature can seriously disrupt the niche they have adapted to.

 

To date, the highest groundwater temperature increases are in parts of Russia, where surface temperatures have risen by more than 1.5°C since 2000. In Australia, significant variations in groundwater temperatures are expected within the shallowest layers.

 

Groundwater regularly flows out to feed lakes and rivers around the world, as well as the ocean, supporting a range of groundwater dependent ecosystems.

 

If warmer groundwater flows into your favourite river or lake, it will add to the extra heat from the sun. This could mean fish and other species will find it too warm to survive. Warm waters also hold less oxygen. Lack of oxygen in rivers and lakes have already become a major cause of mass fish deaths, as we’ve seen recently in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin.

 

Cold water species such as Atlantic salmon have adapted to a water temperature window provided by continuous cool groundwater discharge. As these thermal refuges heat up, it will upend their breeding cycle.

 

Groundwater is vital 
In many parts of the world, people rely on groundwater as their main source of drinking water. But groundwater warming can worsen the quality of the water we drink.

 

 Temperature influences everything from chemical reactions to microbial activity. Warmer water could, for instance, trigger more harmful reactions, where metals leach out into the water. This is especially concerning in areas where access to clean drinking water is already limited.

 

Industries such as farming, manufacturing and energy production often rely on groundwater for their operations. If the groundwater they depend on becomes too warm or more contaminated, it can disrupt their activities.

 

Our study is global, but we have to find out more about how groundwater is warming and what impact this could have locally. By studying how groundwater temperatures are changing over time and across different regions, we can better predict future trends and find strategies to adapt or reduce the effects.

 

Global groundwater warming is a hidden but very significant consequence of climate change. While the impacts will be delayed, they stretch far and wide. They will affect ecosystems, drinking water supplies and industries around the world.

 

(By arrangement with PTI/The Conversation) 

Related News
Kamala Harris seen as stronger candidate than Biden

Kamala Harris seen as stronger candidate than Biden

July 2, 2024, 06:42 PM - 2 mins read

Ram Mandir replica to be part of New York's India Day Parade

Ram Mandir replica to be part of NY India Day Parade

July 2, 2024, 06:32 PM - 2 mins read

India-Thailand Joint Military Exercise 'MAITREE' Begins in Thailand.

Indian Army departs for MAITREE exercise in Thailand

July 2, 2024, 05:17 AM - 2 mins read

'Nomadic Elephant' Joint Military Exercise Between India - Mongolia Set To Start in Meghalaya.

India and Mongolia to begin joint military exercise

July 2, 2024, 04:39 AM - 3 mins read

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. File photo.

British PM Sunak warns against 'Regrettable Choices'

July 2, 2024, 04:25 AM - 2 mins read

Other books shortlisted include Woman Who Climbed Trees by Nepali-Indian writer Smriti Ravindra, Spell of Good Things by Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo, The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi of Pakistan and Brotherless Nights by Sri Lankan-American author VV Ganeshananthan.

2 Indians in Asian Prize for Fiction shortlist

July 2, 2024, 04:17 AM - 2 mins read

Terror Tunnel Destroyed by IDF in Gaza Central Region.

Over 100 terrorists killed as IDF demolishes tunnel

July 1, 2024, 09:16 PM - 2 mins read

Image for representative use only.

Australia doubles international student visa fees

July 1, 2024, 08:55 AM - 3 mins read

India and Pakistan Exchange Lists of Prisoners of War.

India and Pakistan swap prisoner and soldier lists

July 1, 2024, 08:13 AM - 2 mins read

https://www.instagram.com/thelaughclubofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/burraahhh_/

International

See All
Kamala Harris seen as stronger candidate than Biden

Kamala Harris seen as stronger candidate than Biden

July 2, 2024, 06:42 PM - 2 mins read

Biden's approval rating has dropped significantly following his poor performance in the Atlanta debate against his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Read more
Ram Mandir replica to be part of New York's India Day Parade

Ram Mandir replica to be part of NY India Day Parade

July 2, 2024, 06:32 PM - 2 mins read

A replica of the Ram Mandir will be showcased during the India Day parade in New York on August 18. This event draws thousands of Indian Americans from in and around New York.

Read more
India-Thailand Joint Military Exercise 'MAITREE' Begins in Thailand.

Indian Army departs for MAITREE exercise in Thailand

July 2, 2024, 05:17 AM - 2 mins read

The Indian Army contingent has set off for the 13th edition of the India-Thailand joint military Exercise MAITREE, scheduled from July 1-15 at Fort Vachira Prakan in Thailand's Tak Province, announced the Defence Ministry on Tuesday. Previously, the exercise was held in Umroi, Meghalaya in September 2019.

Read more
Researchers found that 0.6-0.9 per cent of girls and 0.9-1.2 per cent of boys in the middle-income countries they studied – India, Vietnam and China – sought professional help.

Mental health: Less than 1pc teens sought help, says study

July 2, 2024, 05:06 AM - 3 mins read

Researchers found that 0.6-0.9 per cent of girls and 0.9-1.2 per cent of boys in the middle-income countries they studied -- India, Vietnam and China -- sought professional help.

Read more
'Nomadic Elephant' Joint Military Exercise Between India - Mongolia Set To Start in Meghalaya.

India and Mongolia to begin joint military exercise

July 2, 2024, 04:39 AM - 3 mins read

The 16th edition of the joint military exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant’ between the Indian and Mongolian armies is set to begin in Meghalaya's Umroi from July 3 to July 16. The Indian Army announced that this exercise aims to enhance interoperability between the two forces, particularly in semi-conventional operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrains.

Read more
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. File photo.

British PM Sunak warns against 'Regrettable Choices'

July 2, 2024, 04:25 AM - 2 mins read

Urging voters to avoid "regrettable decisions," Sunak cautioned against granting a "supermajority" to Labour under Keir Starmer, as polls indicate a strong lead for the opposition.

Read more
Other books shortlisted include Woman Who Climbed Trees by Nepali-Indian writer Smriti Ravindra, Spell of Good Things by Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo, The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi of Pakistan and Brotherless Nights by Sri Lankan-American author VV Ganeshananthan.

2 Indians in Asian Prize for Fiction shortlist

July 2, 2024, 04:16 AM - 2 mins read

Other books shortlisted include Woman Who Climbed Trees by Nepali-Indian writer Smriti Ravindra, Spell of Good Things by Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo, The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi of Pakistan and Brotherless Nights by Sri Lankan-American author VV Ganeshananthan.

Read more
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. File photo.

Nepal PM Prachanda opts for confidence vote over resignation

July 2, 2024, 02:19 AM - 3 mins read

Prachanda, 69, has previously won three confidence votes during his one-and-a-half-year term.

Read more
Terror Tunnel Destroyed by IDF in Gaza Central Region.

Over 100 terrorists killed as IDF demolishes tunnel

July 1, 2024, 09:16 PM - 2 mins read

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) recently reported the destruction of a kilometre-long terror tunnel and the elimination of approximately 100 terrorists. The operation was part of a broader effort by the IDF's 99th Infantry Division to neutralise terrorist threats in the central Gaza Strip.

Read more
Image for representative use only.

Australia doubles international student visa fees

July 1, 2024, 08:55 AM - 3 mins read

This change, effective from July 1, has sparked outrage among student representatives, who warn that the steep price hike will deter prospective students and drive them to competing destinations.

Read more
India and Pakistan Exchange Lists of Prisoners of War.

India and Pakistan swap prisoner and soldier lists

July 1, 2024, 08:13 AM - 2 mins read

On Monday, Pakistan handed over to India a list of defence personnel who went missing during the wars of 1965 and 1971, in addition to exchanging lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in each other's custody. This exchange took place through diplomatic channels in both New Delhi and Islamabad.

Read more
Image for representative use only.

China’s Shandong carrier on Philippine coast raises eyebrows

July 1, 2024, 07:22 AM - 4 mins read

Experts quoted by Chinese media suggest that the aircraft carrier is on a scheduled exercise that might also prepare it for potential long-distance voyages into the West Pacific.

Read more

TOP CATEGORIES

  • Nation

QUICK LINKS

About us Rss FeedSitemapPrivacy PolicyTerms & Condition
logo

2024 News Arena India Pvt Ltd | All rights reserved | The Ideaz Factory