Scientists have discovered enormous reserves of sweet , humiliated salinity water in pockets under the ocean . This has the electric potential to institute clean drinking H2O to those who are water insecure for tenner to come . The findings were announce in the December 5 egress ofNatureby wind writer Vincent Post from the School of the Environment at Flinders University .
There is likely half a million cubic km of freshwater ( about 1.3 x 1017gallons ) stored in pockets on continental shelves below the ocean flooring . While the existence of these fresh water reservoirs were n’t news to environmental scientists , the full extent was quite a surprise .
Thesereservoirsformed one C of thousands of years ago , when the ocean levels were much lower due to so much water being tied up into glaciers . pelting weewee collected in divots and was ultimately underwrite over by sediment and clay . When the piquant ocean weewee levels became high about 20,000 years ago , the pocket of freshwater were protect underneath .
This presents a huge opportunity to tip into the aquifer for a root of drinking water . Traditional method of filtering sea water for human using up is expensive and foliage hypersalinated water as a spin-off . Because the weewee found in these artificial lake does not have such a high salt content , it could be a much more desirable germ of potable piddle .
There are , of class , some obstacles that will call for to be addressed before the weewee can be used . The primary problem is going to be accessing the piddle so that it can be pumped to where it require to go . One potential result is drilling into it offshore and bringing it back in , and another resolution would include drilling into the ground from land , and cutting across to reach the reservoir and pump it straight off back to body politic . Whichever approach is used , a great amount of fear must be taken so that the fresh water is not contaminated .
Water insecurity is an issue thatone in three peopleface around the earth , with freshwater becoming an increasingly desired commodity between contamination and grow population . While there is potential to leave enough water to last for several years , it is a very finite resource . Once it is gone , there will not be more in any amount of time worth hold off for .
