California’s groundwater drought continues despite torrential rain – New Scientist
AdvertisementSeismic measurement of Los Angeles’s depleted aquifers show a year of heavy precipitation hasn’t been enough to refill themBy James Dinneen
13 February 2025
The Los Angeles river, with the downtown LA skyline in the distanceEkaterina Chizhevskaya/Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles river, with the downtown LA skyline in the distanceEkaterina Chizhevskaya/Getty ImagesIn 2023, a parade of atmospheric rivers brought months of heavy precipitation to much of California, filling reservoirs and raising snowpack far above average levels. This flood of water was a major relief after nearly two decades of drought. But a seismic study has now revealed that water on the surface did little to restore the state’s depleted reserves underground.“There was very limited recovery, compared to the groundwater lost over the recent droughts,” says Shujuan Mao at the University of Texas at Austin.…AdvertisementReceive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox!
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