Why in the News?

The recent discovery of a massive freshwater aquifer beneath the Atlantic shelf opens new possibilities for addressing future global water shortages.

About the Aquifer:

Location: Offshore northeastern U.S., stretching possibly from New Jersey to Maine.
Expedition 501: Drilled up to 400 m beneath the seabed, retrieving nearly 50,000 liters of water and thousands of sediment cores.
Findings: Fresh and nearly fresh water discovered at both shallower and deeper depths than expected, confirming a vast, pressurized aquifer.
Global Context: Similar offshore aquifers are suspected or identified near South Africa, Hawai‘i, Jakarta, and Canada’s Prince Edward Island.

Glacial Meltwater Hypothesis: Ancient ice sheets during lower sea levels allowed meltwater to seep into porous sediments.
Connected Aquifer Hypothesis: Modern terrestrial groundwater may still slowly flow offshore through geologic formations.
Significance: Determining whether the aquifer is finite fossil water or a renewable source is critical for deciding its usability.

Water Security: Could supply a metropolis the size of New York City for centuries, if managed sustainably.
Climate Change Resilience: Offers backup options as coastal aquifers face saltwater intrusion and urban demand rises (e.g., Cape Town’s “Day Zero” crisis in 2018).
Scientific Impact: First direct, systematic drilling of offshore freshwater for mapping and salinity profiling.

[UPSC 2021] With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements:

1.The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.

2.The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only* (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2