ESS361H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1-5: Climate Sensitivity, Echinocereus, Polyphenol Oxidase
Document Summary
Shallow ground water influences 22-32% of global land area. Wtd: water table depth: commonly <5m, shallowest is common in humid climates, shallow is found in arid valleys. At global scale: sea level is the dominate driver of wtd, shallowest along the margins of all continents. Groundwater in soil and aquifers is ~33% of total water withdrawal worldwide. Groundwater is key strategic reserve in times of drought. Most aquifers found in arid and semi-arid zones where it is being depleted rapidly. Climate change and associated changes have complicated sustaining groundwater. High and low latitude areas of the world become wetter, and the dry areas in b/w become drier. Natural human response to drought is to pump more groundwater. Why deteroation of global groundwater: rapid unchecked growth and population demand, increasing demand for food and energy, old laws and policies, understanding climate change is new.
