Rising temperatures threaten the tiny animals responsible for groundwater quality

New Web Hosting Pioneer Emerges, Offering Affordable Hosting Solutions Coupled with…A new study compared temperatures inside 12 caves around the world with their respective surfaces, showing that average annual temperatures in underground systems tend to mirror those of the surface, but with far less variation.

Underground ecosystems are everywhere. From gargantuan lightless mazes to pore-sized bedrock gaps inhabited by microfauna — super tiny animals — these ecosystems are believed to be the most widespread nonmarine environments on the planet,. Just like the underwater depths, science still knows precious little about this vast kingdom that all of us, unsuspectingly, live above. And much of what we do know is due to a basic human need: water.

“The temperature inside caves tends to be the average of the outdoor annual temperature,” says Ana Sofia Reboleira, a professor at the University of Lisbon and coordinator of the study. “If the surface average increases, this will be reflected in the depths.” Some of the caves followed outside temperatures throughout the year without any delay. Others seemed to lag behind a bit, reflecting the overworld temperature as it were in the previous one to four months. A certain amount of asynchronism between underground and aboveground environments is expected due to physical factors such as the thermal inertia of rock, i.e. the time it takes heat on the hotter upper surface to pass through the earth to the cooler underground rock.

Not only are these findings important to our understanding of underground ecosystems, but they also reinforce worries about the potential consequences of climate change.

Source: Holiday News (holidaynews.net)

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

South Africa: African Games - South Africa Overtakes Nigeria On Medals TableWhile Team Nigeria added three silver and four bronze medals, it wasn't enough to maintain their second-place position.
Source: allafrica - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

5 important things happening in South Africa todayAnglo American eyes saving R19 billion annually; Eskom wants private sector investment; ‘sin tax’ blow for wine industry; Godongwana worries about Eskom 2.0.
Source: BusinessTechSA - 🏆 24. / 61 Read more »

5 important things happening in South Africa todayGordhan announces retirement from politics; Eskom employees are frustrated and demotivated; threats of litigation could impact poll date; and Cele ordered to pay millions in damages.
Source: BusinessTechSA - 🏆 24. / 61 Read more »

5 important things happening in South Africa todaySAA-Takatso deal being renegotiated; no end of eThekwini strike in sight; Safair under investigation; police minister has worked from home for the past four years.
Source: BusinessTechSA - 🏆 24. / 61 Read more »

5 important things happening in South Africa todayGovernment mulls extending monopoly; Gordhan hints at another bailout; grass isn’t always greener for emigrants; and no daytime load shedding.
Source: BusinessTechSA - 🏆 24. / 61 Read more »

5 important things happening in South Africa todayCabinet slapped with lifestyle audits; parliament passes controversial party funding legislation; SARS guns for gold-smuggling companies; and Ekurhuleni mayor no-confidence vote stalls again.
Source: BusinessTechSA - 🏆 24. / 61 Read more »