the.com/aquifer
an underground ocean older than your ancestors, sipped dry in a single thirsty century
means An underground layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel that holds and transmits groundwater, which can be drawn up through wells and springs.
from From Latin aqua, "water," joined to -fer, "bearing" or "carrying" (from ferre, "to bear"). So literally a "water-bearer" — kin to other -fer words like conifer (cone-bearer) and crucifer (cross-bearer). The term entered English in the 19th century as geologists needed a precise name for these buried reservoirs.
- ancient water
- Some holds rain that fell over 10,000 years ago
- sinking ground
- Overpumping makes cities physically drop, like Mexico City
- hidden vastness
- Stores more freshwater than all surface rivers and lakes
- no refill
- Fossil aquifers don't recharge on human timescales
- global reach
- Two billion people drink straight from them
ogallala aquifer — largest groundwater source in us, spans 8 states from texas to south dakota, supplies 30% of irrigation water
nubian sandstone aquifer — largest freshwater aquifer in world, underlies egypt, sudan, chad, libya, holds 150,000 year old water
guarani aquifer — south america's largest, spans argentina, brazil, paraguay, uruguay, supplies 100 million people