Water mining

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In hydrology, water mining is the extraction of water from non-replenishing groundwater or glacial reserves.

By necessity, any community engaging in water mining has some a deadline at which point it will have exhausted any water reserves and, presumably, would be forced into an unstable position lacking necessary water to maintain standards of living.[1]

Water mining in groundwater can result in "fossil aquifers", which occur when an aquifer is so depleted that it loses integrity. This can result in a physical depression. This can be seen in the Sahara, the Kalahari, the Great Artesian Basin and the Ogallala Aquifer in the American Midwest.[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ NOAA glossary detailing 'Ground Water Mining'
  2. ^ Explanation of groundwater mining and fossil aquifers