South-west Australia relies on groundwater for three-quarters of its water use. But a new study of the region’s caves has found a drying climate is having a dramatic impact on this precious resource.
When groundwater comes to the surface, sunlight and air convert organic molecules to greenhouse gases. That’s going to be a problem as we will need this water more as the world warms.
To look inside a stalagmite is to look back in time tens of thousands of years to see how the Earth’s climate patterns have shaped the world we live in today.
Caves are easily forgotten when fire rips through the bush, but despite their robustness the long-term impact of frequent, unprecedented fire seasons presents a new challenge for subsurface geology.
Scientists from UNSW and Germany are conducting research this week at Wellington Caves as part of an international project to better understand how changes in climate and land use will impact groundwater.
