California is sinking faster than originally thought due to drought; water being sucked from aquifers:
California is sinking even faster than scientists had thought, new NASA satellite imagery shows.
Some
areas of the Golden State are sinking more than 2 inches per month, the
imagery reveals. Though the sinking, called subsidence, has long been a
problem in California, the rate is accelerating because the state's
extreme drought is fueling voracious groundwater pumping.
"Because
of increased pumping, groundwater levels are reaching record lows — up
to 100 feet (30 meters) lower than previous records," Mark Cowin,
director of California's Department of Water Resources, said in a
statement. "As extensive groundwater pumping continues, the land is
sinking more rapidly, and this puts nearby infrastructure at greater
risk of costly damage."
What's more, this furious groundwater
pumping could have long-term consequences. If the land shrinks too much,
and for too long, it can permanently lose its ability to store
groundwater.
The state's sinking isn't new: California has long suffered from
subsidence, and some parts are now a few dozen feet lower than they were
in 1925, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
If fracking requires fresh water, it ain't gonna happen in California.
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