Underground Water Resources: D-I-Y or Water Supplier or Which One Is Better

At the present time, there is widespread debate over the degree to which these ice sheets are receding. There is no doubt that most mid- and low-latitude glaciers are in marked retreat at present, though the quantities of water stored in those are relatively modest on a global scale (albeit extremely valuable to human populations locally, who rely on the natural inter-seasonal storage of water in glaciers for their dry-season water supplies).

It is also clear that the extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic is retracting quite rapidly as the global climate warms. However, given that sea ice floats on water, Archimedes’ Principle tells us that it could melt away entirely without affecting global sea-water levels.

However, large-scale retreat of continental ice sheets undoubtedly has profound effects on sea level. When the ice sheets which covered northern Eurasia and North America finally melted away some 10,000 years ago, sea levels rose by about 100 metres. The sea levels we experience today were established about 5,800 years ago (after they had briefly peaked a little higher than they currently are). Prior to that global rise in sea level, the British Isles were simply a jagged peninsula of the European mainland. Further sea level rise would dramatically change the map in many parts of the world: if the present ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland were to melt completely, sea levels would rise by about 70 metres. Such high sea levels have not been encountered during human history, and we would need to delve back millions of years in the geological record to find analogies.

It is already clear that far more modest rises in sea level (up to 5 metres), which might well be encountered in the coming centuries if climate change predictions are realized, would disproportionately affect low-lying developing countries that would struggle to afford greater sea defences (e.g. Bangladesh, Belize, Egypt, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritania and Vietnam). Up to 245 million people could be displaced – nearly 6 per cent of the populations of the vulnerable countries.

Groundwater – the ‘hidden sea’

We’ve already seen that rivers and lakes store tiny amounts of water (1 per cent) compared to that present below the land surface (99 per cent). To strip surface waters of their remaining shred of dignity: except in the immediate aftermath of rainstorms or snow melt periods, the vast majority of water in most rivers and lakes originates by seepage from underground sources. Viewed in this way, rivers and lakes are little more than long, wide, shallow wells. Yet, despite the preponderance of groundwater, its general invisibility leaves it wide open to neglect or misunderstanding.

However, the best thing is that you don’t have to start looking for underground water resources any time sooner in your area, because you are already smart enough to choose Thames Water to do this job for you. You can always get their help by calling them at Thames Water Contact Number and can get your hands on water-saving tips to pay your contributions towards making earth as a better planet.