A World without water by The Outlaw Micheal Tomsik

Imagine if you will our world without water. I mean really think about it our planet EARTH is covered in water so it seems unimaginable that we would have no water. However I have discovered some facts about our water here on Earth and wanted to discuss the possibilities of Earth with no water.

 The vast majority of water on the Earth’s surface, over 96 percent, is saline water in the oceans. The freshwater resources, such as water falling from the skies and moving into streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater, provide people with the water they need every day to live. Water sitting on the surface of the Earth is easy to visualize, and your view of the water cycle might be that rainfall fills up the rivers and lakes.

Even though you may only notice water on the Earth’s surface, there is much more freshwater stored in the ground than there is in liquid form on the surface. In fact, some of the water you see flowing in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into river beds. Water from precipitation continually seeps into the ground to recharge the aquifers, while at the same time water in the ground continually recharges rivers through seepage.

 In the United States in 2005, we used about 328 billion gallons per day of surface water and about 82.6 billion gallons per day of groundwater. Although surface water is used more to supply drinking water and to irrigate crops, groundwater is vital in that it not only helps to keep rivers and lakes full, it also provides water for people in places where visible water is scarce, such as in the desert towns of the western United States.

Of the freshwater on Earth, much more is stored in the ground than is available in lakes and rivers. More than 2,000,000 mi3 (8,400,000 km3) of freshwater is stored in the Earth, most within one-half mile of the surface. But, if you really want to find freshwater, the most is stored in the 7,000,000 mi3 (29,200,000 km3) of water found in glaciers and icecaps, mainly in the Polar Regions and in Greenland.

For a detailed explanation of where Earth’s water is, look at the data table below. Notice how of the world’s total water supply of about 332.5 million mi3 of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Rivers are the source of most of the fresh surface water people use, but they only constitute about 300 mi3 (1,250 km3), about 1/10,000th of one percent of total water.

So with this information why are places like the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and other areas of the United States of America worried about water or where is the water going?

In a recent story about Lake Mead outside of Las Vegas Nevada they have proved  Lake Mead is shrinking. This isn’t just any lake that’s getting smaller: This specific lake was created by the Hoover Dam in 1935. It provides water to millions of people across the states of Nevada, Arizona and California.

Satellite photos show that the Colorado River, which feeds Lake Mead, is drying up. It strongly suggests that if the pattern of weather continues and the river is not replenished, Lake Mead could possibly go bone dry in the future.   With about half of the country still suffering from extreme drought, farmers and businesses in the Western United States are looking at another hot, dry summer. 

And the country’s water risk is a lot worse than most assessments suggest, according to a recent study from the Columbia University Water Center. 

Taking into account past patterns of drought and water use, the Columbia study reveals that several major metro areas, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, are at high risk for water scarcity, along with the Great Plains agricultural belt extending from North and South Dakota down to North Texas.

Here’s a list of the top 10 areas with the highest risk for water scarcity: 

• Washington DC metro area
• New York metro area
• California area, from San Diego to      Santa Barbara and inland
• Agricultural belt: Dakotas
• Agricultural belt: Nebraska
• Illinois
• Lower Mississippi belt: Arkansas area
• Agricultural belt: North Texas
• Agricultural regions in Ohio
• Agricultural regions in Minnesota

“All cities and all businesses require water, yet in many regions, they need more water than is actually available — and that demand is growing,” said Upmanu Lall, director, Columbia Water Center. “The new study reveals that certain areas face exposure to drought, which will magnify existing problems of water supply and demand.” 

The study notes that a 99% population increase since 1950 combined with a 127% increase in water use has further decreased water availability, making it increasingly difficult to replenish water supplies after a drought. The report doesn’t predict when or where the water scarcity will become an issue. In New York and Washington, D.C., for example, water is brought in from outside of the city from other sources, which are typically plentiful. 

The Times reports: 

Two years of extreme drought, during which farmers relied almost completely on groundwater, have brought the seriousness of the problem home. In 2011 and 2012, the Kansas geological Survey reports, the average water level in the state’s portion of the aquifer dropped 4.25 feet — nearly a third of the total decline since 1996

Bloomberg reports that an Ernst & Young corporate sustainability study recently found that 76% of corporate representatives think water is the top resource at risk. 

Face it a world without water is unthinkable the very existence of human kind and every other living species on Earth depends on water. There are some extreme measures being taken to explore other planets in hopes of finding a solution to the world’s water issues.