Widespread and increased drilling of wells into fossil aquifers in the USA.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: GebreEgziabher M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9018791 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Widespread and increased drilling of wells into fossil aquifers in the USA.
GebreEgziabher Merhawi M Jasechko Scott S Perrone Debra D
Nature communications 20220419 1
Most stored groundwater is 'fossil' in its age, having been under the ground for more than ~12 thousand years. Mapping where wells tap fossil aquifers is relevant for water quality and quantity management. Nevertheless, the prevalence of wells that tap fossil aquifers is not known. Here we show that wells that are sufficiently deep to tap fossil aquifers are widespread, though they remain outnumbered by shallower wells in most areas. Moreover, the proportion of newly drilled wells that are deep ...[more]
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