The Humans’ Influence on the Water Cycle is Bigger than We Thought

NASA scientists have found that human activities are causing the global water cycle to change in ways we’ve never seen before. These shifts could impact ecosystems and how we manage water in different regions, especially with things like agriculture.

According to Sujay Kumar, a NASA researcher, the data shows that human actions are having a much bigger effect on the water cycle than we realized. This shift has serious consequences for people worldwide, particularly in areas where water management relies on the idea that the water cycle only changes within predictable limits.

Wanshu Nie, who led the research, explained that assumptions about how the water cycle behaves may no longer hold true for some areas. The team hopes their findings will help improve how we assess water resources and plan for future challenges.

One example is happening in North China, where a drought is ongoing, but plants are still thriving. Farmers are pumping more water from underground sources to irrigate crops, which affects other parts of the water cycle, like how much water evaporates or flows off the land.

The study looked at three main kinds of changes: a trend, such as less water in groundwater reserves; a shift in when certain water events happen, like an earlier growing season or snowmelt; and changes in extreme weather events, like floods that are becoming more common.

The team used satellite data from NASA and the European Space Agency to track these changes from 2003 to 2020. This includes data on precipitation, soil moisture, and water storage, as well as information on how plants are doing.

The research suggests that Earth models used to predict future water cycles need to consider the impact of human activities. With better data and updated models, water managers can better plan for future conditions and understand what to expect from their local water resources.

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