A new map reveals how much groundwater is left hidden in the planet, as this new study also shows how less than six percent of groundwater that is located within two kilometers of the planet's upper crust will be replenished within a human lifetime. 

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According to lead author of the study, Tom Gleeson from the University of Victoria in Canada, this information was not known before as ground water has never been mapped until now. He adds that there are numerous aquifers where water reserves are dropping to dangerously low levels, which means that humans are using up ground water resources too fast, faster before they even get renewed again.

In this new study, hydrologists from all over the world utilized data and computer models that created the first data based estimate of the planet's total supply of ground water. Researchers revealed that there is an estimated volume of underground water equal to 23 billion cubic kilometers where 0.35 million cubic kilometers of water is just renewed, not older than 50 years old.

This underground water is found within the Earth's surface as it originates from rain, snowpacks, or water leaking from the bottom of river systems and lakes as well. This water's age can range from a few months fresh to more than a million years old. According to the United States Geological Survey, this water can be found as deep as nine kilometers into the Earth's crust.

Gleeson says that now, since we already know how much ground water is being used up and how much is left, scientists can give a clear estimate how much water we have left before all of it runs out. He adds that water that lies near the surface is getting renewed at a much faster rate as opposed to water found deep within the Earth although, this ground water is also more susceptible to contamination and global warming but can also alleviate extreme temperatures.

Gleeson explains that water that is found deeper in the Earth is commonly used for agricultural and industrial purposes however, it contains arsenic and uranium that contain more salt than saltwater. He also adds that the importance of ground water lies in becoming an effective buffer when it comes to climate extremes.

This new study provides new insight about the remaining ground water on the planet, and if this supply is properly managed, it can flow and enter rivers during drought which makes it a valuable and strategic resource when dealing with extreme impacts of climate change especially for water reserves.

New findings also reveal that the most abundant regions of ground water are found in tropical climates, where the largest water deposits are located in the Amazon Basin, Congo and Indonesia and western borders of North and South America. The regions with the least amount of ground water are the dry and arid ones such as Australia, the Gobi and Sahara deserts and central North America.

This new study is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

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