Groundwater and the Rising Seas

Provided by: The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) |Published on: May 20, 2021

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Synopsis

This article discusses threats to groundwater resources in the United States.
Students will learn how sea level rise, overdrawing, and precipitation changes can lead to groundwater depletion.

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Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences

Authors: The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), Nick Bradford

Region: United States

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

This article thoroughly explains the importance and sources of groundwater, using effective visuals to convey the threats that US groundwater stores face.
Helpful links are included throughout the article, providing opportunities for further exploration of groundwater topics, data, and conservation.

Prerequisites

Students should be familiar with the water cycle.
Students may require assistance in interpreting the Saltwater Intrusion graphic. Consider asking students to first describe what they think is happening in the pictures, then support them in analyzing the different causes of saltwater intrusion if necessary.

Differentiation & Implementation

Teachers could ask students to compare the two groundwater depletion maps and discuss the fact that the first map shows the change in groundwater depletion that took place in one hundred years and that the other shows the change in seven years.
Students could make a list of ways that groundwater can be recharged and ways that it can be depleted. After, students could write a paragraph explaining ways people can protect groundwater.
Other resources on this topic include this interactive global map of urban water supplies, this TED-Ed video on why water scarcity is a problem for so many people, and this article on how forests can protect water supplies in cities.

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About the Partner Provider

National Environmental Education Foundation

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is the nation's leading organization in lifelong environmental learning, creating opportunities for people to experience and learn about the environment in ways that improve their lives and the health of the planet. NEEF is a non-partisan, non-advocacy organization working to make the environment more accessible, relatable, relevant, and connected to people's daily lives.

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Groundwater and the Rising Seas

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

About the Partner Provider

Scientist Reviewed

Related Teaching Resources