News
Earth’s soil is drying up. It could be irreversible.
The amount of water stored on lands across Earth’s continents has declined at such staggering levels that changes are likely irreversible while humans are alive, a study published Thursday found.
The losses in soil moisture — a result of the planet’s climate conditions and prolonged droughts — already pose issues for farming, irrigation systems and critical water resources for humans. But the new research shows how the declines are contributing to sea level rise more than previously thought — and also affect the way Earth rotates around its axis.