{"id":110266,"date":"2019-07-20T22:43:20","date_gmt":"2019-07-21T02:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stg.savethewater.org\/?p=110266"},"modified":"2022-02-28T22:23:54","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T03:23:54","slug":"739-trillion-gallon-freshwater-aquifer-under-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/739-trillion-gallon-freshwater-aquifer-under-the-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"Buried Treasure: Scientists Discover 739 Trillion Gallon Freshwater Aquifer Under the Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Erin Fee, Staff Writer and Researcher for Save The Water\u2122 | July 20, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s something incredible buried beneath the northeast coast of the United States. Marine geologists have discovered 739 trillion gallons of fresh water 600 feet under the ocean floor.1<\/span> This vast reservoir stretches across the coastlines of Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.2<\/span> It may be the largest freshwater, undersea aquifer ever found. But according to scientists, it isn\u2019t one of a kind. Freshwater aquifers could be a vital resource\u2014but only if used responsibly.<\/span><\/p>\n Many kinds of rock are permeable. This means that they contain contain cracks, gaps, and holes that are capable of holding air and\u2014most importantly\u2014water. Layers of permeable rock under the earth will gradually fill with water from rain and snow. This creates an aquifer, which can be tapped into by humans by drilling wells into the rock.3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But why are there freshwater aquifers under the ocean, often many miles from the coast? Scientists have a likely answer. Tens of thousands of years ago, the world\u2019s ocean levels were lower. Aquifers formed the same way as they do now, with rain and snow being absorbed into the earth and collecting in permeable rock. When much of the world\u2019s ice caps melted 20,000 years ago, the sea level rose and many land areas were covered by the ocean. Though the land is now part of the ocean floor, the ancient aquifers beneath remain.4<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Make no mistake, 739 trillion gallons is <\/span>a lot <\/span><\/i>of water. But it isn\u2019t infinite. Aquifers are formed gradually, and it is all too easy to take water from them more quickly than they can be replenished by precipitation. Undersea aquifers can\u2019t be replenished at all. These are ancient resources and when they are gone, it\u2019s for good. Also, oil drilling pollutes undersea aquifers.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, accessing the long-buried water will be a challenge. Possible options include drilling into the aquifer from a platform, or drilling from nearby islands and coastlines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Are Aquifers?<\/h2>\n
The Challenge of Undersea Aquifers<\/h2>\n