Rain doesn’t come that often, so I can’t imagine how there could be enough to constantly keep the groundwater and aquifers flowing strong. I know there are some other sources like snowmelt too, but rain is the main one and I don’t see it being substantial enough to be able to bring that much water.
In: Earth Science
This made me think, so I did some digging.
A giant thunderhead cloud can have as much as 2 billion pounds if water in it.
That said, many aquifers are no longer in balance, as the demands of people and agriculture remove more than nature puts in. The short-term saving grace is that we are talking enormous amounts of water stored to start with.
I mentioned agriculture, growing a single pound of almonds takes 1900 gallons of water. 500 gallons of water will get you a pound of avocado. And for a measly 35 gallons of water you can have one cup of coffee.
Agriculture is super water intensive. So next time someone tells you aquifers are being depleted, it isn’t just the car wash and the lawn.
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