Massive Offshore Freshwater Aquifers Discovered Around the World Pose Solution to Water Scarcity
- Offshore freshened groundwater systems hold huge volumes of freshwater beneath the ocean floor and within 55 km of coastlines.
- New research has identified massive offshore aquifer systems along the Atlantic Coast of the U.S. and South Africa that contain freshwater volumes comparable to the largest onshore aquifers.
- These offshore freshwater reservoirs could help address water scarcity and increasing drought in coastal cities like Cape Town, Melbourne, and Perth.
- Ongoing research aims to better understand how these offshore aquifers form and can be used as a resource.
- New electromagnetic surveying techniques have enabled the discovery and mapping of these previously unknown freshwater systems under the ocean.
Scientific American 
