Deep below the pile of Sicily , a vast sedimentation of ancient fresh water has been found . Although it has been trap here for 6 million years or so , geologists believe could offer up a root to the modern - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. weewee famine faced by the many desiccated body politic around the Mediterranean coastlines .
It ’s estimate that the deposit contains 17.5 cubic km ( 4.1 cubic miles ) of water , forming an aquifer that cross 700 to 2,500 meters ( 2,300 to 8,200 feet ) deep beneath the Hyblaean Mountains in southeastern Sicily off the coast of Italy .
The discovery was made by scientists from the University of Malta , the University of Roma Tre , and the University of Bologna by bet at maps and data from previous surveys looking for crude deposits , then using this information to build 3-D models .
They conceive the pee end up here some 6 million year ago , indicating it may have something to do with theMessinian brininess crisis , a 700,000 - yr - long geological event when the Mediterranean Sea became parched and almost whole dry up the watershed .
The Messinian salt crisis was due to the closing of the trait of Gibraltar , the narrow passage of water that relate the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and severalise Europe from Africa . scientist theorize that the crisis come to an end around 5.33 million years ago whenthe Zanclean megafloodsuddenly refilled the Mediterranean Basin and reconnected it to the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar .
Prior to this photoflood when the basin was still dry , the seabed was expose and rainwater was capable to trickle down into the crust . It was then soaked by an aquifer , a urine - bearing rock , like a sponger where it has remained ever since .
The Mediterranean basin isparticularly vulnerableto clime alteration . With the part set to become warmer andincreasingly aridin geezerhood to get , many are worried that there might not be enough drinkable water to supply its growing population .
The researcher excuse that groundwater depository found under Sicily ’s Hyblaean Mountains could help address the job in southern Italy , as well as other regions in North Africa that are also home to subterranean bodies of groundwater .
“ The discovery of such an extended , preserved , and deep - freshened groundwater body has significant implications as an unconventional source of potable body of water , especially consider the numerous pee - scarce areas along the Mediterranean coastlines ( e.g. , Morocco , Tunisia , Egypt , Lebanon , and Turkey ) , ” the study writer write in their conclusion .
“ Indeed , the geologic setting and check constituent in our study area occur elsewhere in the Mediterranean region , e.g. , in the Adriatic Carbonate Platform and the Apulia Platform in Italy , in the Nara Platform in Tunisia , etc where other extensive , bass freshened groundwater bodies may be hosted in carbonate aquifers , ” they added .
“ The engineering to explore and utilize such deep groundwater trunk today exists , making these potentially wide groundwater resources available for utilization . ”
The bailiwick is published in the journalCommunications Earth & Environment .
