South Africa stands up: Dürre as the main cause of landing

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climate change lifts South Africa from the sea

bonn. The geological changes in South Africa show that the country gradually rises from the floods. Current research results show that this process takes place by up to two millimeters per year depending on the region. So far, it has been assumed that currents are responsible for this elevation inside the earth. However, a new study by the University of Bonn suggests that the main cause of the drought has been observed for years and the associated water losses.

The changes have been recorded by an extensive network of GPS stations that carry out precise measurements of the earth's surface via satellite data. Between 2012 and 2020, an average increase of six millimeters was observed. Previously, a geodynamic phenomenon in the interior of the earth was often suspected, which could cause similar elevation. But the new investigation questions this assumption and indicates the possibility that water losses play a crucial role.

As part of the study, regional precipitation patterns were analyzed, which showed clear relationships between drought time and the subsequent uplift process. After the times of extreme drought, affected regions showed significant climbs on the site. In addition, data from the Grace satellite mission were used, which measure the changes in gravitational strength and thus indicate the changes in the water reservoirs, even if the spatial resolution is limited.

The results support the hypothesis that the lack of water has a direct influence on the changes in the height. When land areas dry out, the earth's crust is raised at these areas, which can be compared to the dynamics of a foam ball, which "pops up" again after the pressure is reduced. These findings could be of great importance in the future because they help to grasp drought more precisely and to improve the management of water resources.

The results of the study illustrate the challenges with which South Africa is confronted. Especially from 2015 to 2019, the country experienced a catastrophic drought that seriously endangered the water supply in cities such as Cape Town. In view of the changing precipitation patterns through climate change, further tightening of this problem is expected, and the need for effective water management is becoming increasingly urgent.