A new study has shown that land is growing in South Africa, and the reason can be more dangerous than before. Between 2012 and 2020, the researchers recorded an average regeneration of 6 millimeters, or about 2 millimeters each year. Although it was previously believed that geological activity or mental flow was causing this change, recent findings suggest that drought and water loss could be real culprits. As the water level falls, the earth’s crust indicates a deep and complex relationship between climate change, water management and urban growth, one experiences rebounds upwards.
There is no tectonic plate, but the disappearance is causing regeneration
Earlier, scientists admitted that the growing land in South Africa was due to seismic or volcanic activity, especially from the Kwatlamba Hotspot. However, researchers at Bonn University have now linked the vertical land movement with surface and sub -water loss. During the drought, groundwater, soil moisture and surface water disappears, pressing down on the crust reduces weight. As a result the land bounces back back, an event called elastic ribounds, observed through advanced satellite and ground-based measurements.
How did the drought of Cape Town reveal the trend
The notorious day of Cape Town, the zero crisis, which began in 2015, was an important case to study the event. The research team initially determined to check the loss of water during the city’s extreme drought between 2015 and 2018. Using data from GNSS-Trigate base stations in South Africa, which track vertical land speed, scientists confirmed that the land uplift closely followed the period of low water mass. This showed that water scarcity has a visible, average effect on the very size of the Earth’s surface.
Scientists track uplift through satellite and GPS
To understand the uplift pattern in South Africa, scientists analyzed GPS data from 2000 to 2021. They used geopolitical models to convert vertical land movement in water loss estimates. These grace and other hydrological models were cross-checked with satellite gravity data. The findings confirmed a consistent correlation between water loss and increase in land in many areas, not only Cape Town. This made it clear that the pattern is national, not local.
The science behind the land is drowning
While the upliftment related to drought is becoming more common, it is rapidly opposite with the land sub-group caused by groundwater over-concession in other parts of the world. Researcher Christian MileK reported that two processes are in sports. The loading effect causes regeneration when the mass of the surface water is lost and crust rebounds. On the other hand, the poro-lalory effect causes the aquifers to drown and sink the land when the collapse. Which effect dominates, local depends on the type of geology and water loss.
Use of South Africa water under investigation
The study also showed that South Africa’s water consumption is much higher than the global average. South African use about 237 liters of water per day compared to a global average of 173 liters. Gauteng and Western Cape, including major cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town, are among the most consumers. With increasing drought, this level of use is unstable and contributes to complex challenges of land deformation and water stress.
Increasing inequality in water access
Water crisis is not shared evenly. A survey by Cape Town revealed that 13.7 percent of the richest residents consumed more than half of the city’s total water. Up to 2,161 liters of household houses were used daily in aristocratic houses, while low -income families used only 178 liters. Residents of informal settlements lived at least 41 liters per day. This imbalance deteriorates the effect of water scarcity and puts additional stress on urban infrastructure and environment.
A warning signal for urban development
The study is a reminder that can have invisible, long -term results of urbanization without planning. As the soil moisture declines and the concrete replaces natural recharge areas, the earth’s crust is not immediately visible. These changes affect groundwater storage, increase vulnerability for future droughts, and change land stability. Urban design should now consider the widespread effects of water loss, not only for environmental stability, but also for the flexibility of infrastructure.
A call to rethink water management
Cape Town and other South African cities need to modify their water strategies immediately. Measures such as reducing waste, recycling such as waste water treatment, and increasing rainwater harvesting are important. The long -term plan should address both climate flexibility and social equity. Since climate change deepens the gap between supply and demand, cities should now work to protect both people and planets. Rising land is not just a geological discrepancy – it is a warning to change the course from nature.
