FRESHWATER RESERVES DISCOVERED BENEATH SEABED

Concerns about the future of Earth’s water supply have been growing in recent years. More than 40 percent of the people on Earth already live in conditions of water scarcity, and the UN estimates that by 2030, nearly half of the world’s population will live under high water stress. Still, the numbers have failed to curb consumption, which in the past century has been growing at more than twice the rate of the population. Researchers say we may breathe a little easier though, as they have discovered vast freshwater reserves—an estimated 120,000 cubic miles (500,000 cubic kilometers) of low-salinitywater—beneath the ocean floor. More… Discuss