Human Water Use Accounts For 42% of Recent Sea Level Rise

scibri writes "During the latter half of the twentieth century, global sea level rose by about 1.8 millimeters per year. The combined contribution from heating of the oceans, which makes the water expand, along with melting of ice caps and glaciers, is estimated to be 1.1 millimeters per year, which left some 0.7 millimeters per year unaccounted for. It seems that the effects of human water use on land could fill that gap. Researchers report in Nature Geoscience that land-based water storage could account for 0.77 millimeters per year, or 42%, of the observed sea-level rise between 1961 and 2003. The extraction of groundwater for irrigation and home and industrial use, with subsequent run-off to rivers and eventually to the oceans, represents the bulk of the contribution. It would be even worse if we weren't also locking up lots of water from rivers behind dams like the Hoover Dam."

Comments

I don't buy it

[Waffle Iron]

This is obviously just another cry of "the sky is falling" from a bunch of alarmists pushing their anti-freedom agenda.

There's no credible evidence that this so-called "ground water" exists at all. Look down at your feet: The ground is made out of dirt. How do they supposedly turn all this dirt into water? Answer: They can't. Dirt is black, water is clear. You don't get one from the other. It's just common sense, people.

There's nothing to see here. Move along.

Re:I don't buy it

[pr0nbot]

Brother, your indignation is most righteous! However, you must remind yourself of the Scripture!

Genesis 1:6 -- 'And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 7 And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.'

Let us not be the ones to disrupt the wisdom of His divine order by moving the waters from one side of the firmament to another!

(I'll work on a Raëlian interpretation next.)

Unsustainable.

[Hatta]

So how long can we use surface water at this rate before we run out?

Re:Dam!

[lxs]

I have a hard time picturing how a hover dam manages to trap any water. Won't the water simply flow underneath the dam?

Re:Worse?

[Chrisq]

The sea rose 7" over the 20th century, with zero acceleration in rate until the satellites came online, and no one noticed for 90 years. (Which obviously proves satellites cause sea level rise. )

So the Chinese are the good guys for blowing up satellites after all.

Re:Dam Baby, Dam!

[dkleinsc]

... time to put those beavers to work!

Must ... resist ... obvious ... joke

Re:Worse?

[Dewin]

(Which obviously proves satellites cause sea level rise. )

Well, there is one particular satellite that has been well known to cause sea levels to rise quite significantly, so I think you might be on to something here...

Re:Worse?

[Baloroth]

Well, there is one particular satellite that has been well known to cause sea levels to rise quite significantly, so I think you might be on to something here...

Well, yes, but not globally.

Re:Worse?

[Anonymous Coward]

I live in Florida on the water. I'm at 18.5' of elevation at the top of my bank and 22' at the lowest point of my door sill. At 1.8mm a year I'll worry about it in 3132.6 years when the water reaches the top of the bank...till then I'm just gonna chill with a cold one.