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The Miracles Hidden Underground: Why is groundwater called the "source of life"?
Groundwater is water that exists beneath the earth's surface, stored in the pores of rocks and soil, or in cracks in rock structures. Moreover, approximately 30% of the world's available fresh water comes from groundwater. It is a source of life for many area residents and ecosystems. While we often notice rivers, lakes, and rainwater above ground, groundwater is one of those lesser-known but vital resources.
Groundwater is known as the "source of life" because it is not only our source of drinking water, but also supports the operation of agriculture and ecosystems.
The existence of groundwater is not only a quantitative issue, it also involves a qualitative issue. Many places rely entirely on groundwater for drinking water. According to the report, nearly two billion people rely on groundwater as their primary water source. In the United States, groundwater is one of the largest sources of freshwater reserves, and California is the state that extracts the largest amount of groundwater in the country. However, when human needs conflict with ecological carrying capacity, groundwater problems begin to emerge.
But groundwater is not just traversable flowing water, its relationship with nature cannot be underestimated. From the perspective of the water cycle, groundwater recharge mainly comes from surface water bodies, including precipitation, streams and rivers. Its discharge pattern is often through spring water and seepage into the ocean. Because groundwater typically flows slowly, we can rely on it over the long term without fear of immediate consequences. However, this visual "worry-free" often makes us ignore its fragility.
Human use of groundwater can cause environmental problems, such as pollution and subsidence due to over-exploitation.
As technology advances, water management becomes increasingly important. The current situation shows that the reduction of global groundwater reserves has become a major challenge. From subsidence due to over-exploitation to salinization due to seawater intrusion, groundwater is facing multiple threats. In some areas, such as India's Punjab region, groundwater levels have fallen by 10 meters since 1979, and the rate is accelerating.
Further analysis of the characteristics of groundwater shows that the temperature of groundwater is usually relatively stable due to the high specific heat capacity of water and the insulating effect of soil and rock. This not only allows people to obtain a relatively stable water supply under extreme climate conditions, but can also be used for energy control in buildings, thereby achieving energy saving effects.
However, the availability of groundwater depends on a variety of factors, including geological structure and groundwater recharge pathways. According to research, groundwater accounts for about 30% of the world's freshwater resources, and 99% of the world's liquid freshwater comes from groundwater. This makes it a very important resource, especially during periods of drought or water shortage.
In addition to agriculture, groundwater also plays an integral role in water supply in urban and other environments. With the intensification of urbanization, human demand for groundwater has become more and more urgent, which also means that there will still be many challenges in the future. The quality of groundwater is often affected by factors such as pollution, which poses a potential threat to public health.
In the future, sustainable management of groundwater is crucial, otherwise we may face a common crisis.
Overall, the role of groundwater cannot be underestimated. Its existence not only affects human survival, but also affects the health and prosperity of the ecosystem. In such an era of increasingly scarce resources, how can we manage water resources more effectively to ensure the continued use of this "source of life" in the future?
