New map charts a 'leaky' Earth

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Canadian researchers have made the first-ever global survey of Earth's permeability -- essentially, they say, how "leaky" our planet is.

Their world map of permeability shows how easily water passes through surface rocks in all parts of the world, information that could provide understanding of the planet's water cycle and the sustainability of underground water sources, NewScientist.com reported Friday.

Crucially, the researchers at the University of British Columbia say, it could help unravel the hidden underground movements of most of the planet's fresh water -- water that is not taken into account in computer models used to predict climate.

"Groundwater makes up 99 percent of the fresh unfrozen water on Earth," says UBC researcher Tom Gleeson. "That huge store could somehow modulate the climate. There may be really complex interactions that we don't appreciate."

The map should help hydrologists work out how much groundwater moves from one basin or aquifer to another, which is important if the water is to be managed sustainably, researchers say.