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Sustainable Water

Extending The Life Cycle Of Water

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Historic California Drought Caused Sierra Nevada Mountains to Rise

A recent NASA study has concluded that the California’s Sierra Nevada grew by nearly an inch from October 2011 to October 2015 due to water that was lost from rock formations during the drought. [1]

The study also found that in the following two years, the the mountain range regained nearly half as much water as was lost during the drought. As a result, the height of the mountains decreased by approximately half an inch.[2]

According to Donald Argus of NASA, who led the study, the team found the amount of water lost from the fractured rock during the drought amounted to 10.8 cubic miles of water. This volume is equivalent to 45 times as much water as Los Angeles currently uses in a year.[3]

In a report by the Associated Press, Jay Famiglietti, jet propulsion lab scientist who participated in the research said the finding solves a mystery for hydrologists. “One of the major unknowns in mountain hydrology is what happens below the soil. How much snowmelt percolates through fractured rock into the core of the mountain?”[4]

Famiglietti cited that the new research will allow scientists to begin exploring other questions about mountain groundwater, such as the capacity and potential for accessing the water table within the mountain range.[5]

The study, titled ‘Sustained water loss in California’s mountain ranges during severe drought from 2012 through 2015 inferred from GPS,’ was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.

[1] Associated Press. Study: Loss of water in drought caused Sierra Nevada to rise. December 13, 2017. Web. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2017-12-13/study-loss-of-water-in-drought-caused-sierra-nevada-to-rise

[2] Associated Press. Study: Loss of water in drought caused Sierra Nevada to rise. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2017-12-13/study-loss-of-water-in-drought-caused-sierra-nevada-to-rise

[3] Prigg, Mark. California’s drought caused the Sierra Nevada mountain range to RISE almost an inch as it ‘dried out’. December 13, 2017. Web. Associated Press. Study: Loss of water in drought caused Sierra Nevada to rise. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5177277/Drought-caused-Sierra-Nevada-mountain-range-RISE.html

[4] Associated Press. Study: Loss of water in drought caused Sierra Nevada to rise. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2017-12-13/study-loss-of-water-in-drought-caused-sierra-nevada-to-rise

[5] Prigg. California’s drought caused the Sierra Nevada mountain range to RISE almost an inch as it ‘dried out’. Associated Press. Study: Loss of water in drought caused Sierra Nevada to rise. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5177277/Drought-caused-Sierra-Nevada-mountain-range-RISE.html

Picture Reference: Don Graham

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