Undersea freshwater discovery raises hopes for islands worldwide
A University of Hawaiʻi study revealed the onshore-to-offshore movement of freshwater through a multilayer formation of basalts embedded between layers of ash and soil.
A study by the University of Hawaiʻi found twice as much offshore submarine freshwater as previous estimates.
Scientists used marine controlled-source electromagnetic imaging to discover freshwater beneath the seafloor on the western end of Hawaiʻi.
Two-times More Water
According to the University of Hawaiʻi, the study revealed the onshore-to-offshore movement of freshwater through a multilayer formation of basalts embedded between layers of ash and soil.
The discovery diverges from established groundwater models of the area.
“Our findings provide a paradigm shift from the conventional hydrologic conceptual models that have been vastly used by multiple studies and water organizations in Hawaiʻi and other volcanic islands to calculate sustainable yields and aquifer storage for the past 30 years,” said Eric Attias, founder of the Ocean and Earth Electromagnetic Laboratory (OCEEMLAB). “We hope that our discovery will enhance future hydrologic models and, consequently, the availability of clean freshwater in volcanic islands.”
The Future of Offshore Hydraulic Mining
Offshore freshwater systems similar to those flanking the Hualālai aquifer are suggested to be present on the island of Oʻahu, where the electromagnetic imaging technique has not yet been applied. However, if demonstrated, researchers believe it could provide an entirely new concept for managing freshwater resources.
Other islands located in the Ring of Fire, the Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean archipelago could be hiding an unknown quantity of freshwater offshore.
A 2005 United States Geological Survey study notes that of Puerto Rico’s outlying islands, Vieques, Culebra, and Mona, only Vieques is underlain by aquifers of any local importance. The most extensive and intensely developed aquifers in Puerto Rico are the North Coast Limestone aquifer system and the South Coastal Alluvial Plain aquifer system. Withdrawals from these two aquifer systems constitute nearly 70 percent of the total groundwater withdrawn in Puerto Rico.