Scientists Map Vast Reserves Of Freshwater Under The Seabed

Not all the water in the sea is seawater. Scientists think there are vast reserves of fresh groundwater buried under the oceans – a potentially valuable resource for coastal cities that need freshwater. A recent report in Nature estimates the amount of fresh groundwater around the world at about 120,000 cubic miles — that’s 100 times more than all the groundwater that has been pumped up from wells since the 1900s. The reserves are scattered across coastal regions around the world…While places such as Cape May, N.J., are already drilling and desalinating freshwater underground for use, getting to freshwater reserves under the oceans will probably be more expensive, says Kenneth Miller, professor of earth and planetary sciences at Rutgers University.