Humans Causing California's Mountains To Grow 36
New submitter Megan Sever writes: "This is a cool story about anthropogenic effects of water withdrawal moving mountains — literally. According to new research published today (abstract) and reported in EARTH Magazine, humans have been causing the Sierra Nevada mountains to rise. By withdrawing water for irrigation and other purposes, we have inadvertently removed water from the mountains, allowing them to uplift. The research shows a seasonal and annual cycle."
I know it's just the one. (Score:5, Funny)
I thought Grand Tetons only swelled when you add liquid to them.
Re:I know it's just the one. (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah. And don't feed them after midnight.
Landfills too (Score:2)
Bah, we've been building "mountains" for quite a while already.
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Bah, we've been building "mountains" for quite a while already.
Yes, but no one is talking about the looming molehill shortage!
Re:Tectonics? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm certain that plate tectonics have absolutely nothing to do with the rise in the mountains.
Are you trying to dispute an article you clearly haven't read?
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We turn it on (Score:1)
Is that a mountain in your pants or are you just happy to see us humans?
I heard somewhere that faith could move mountains (Score:2)
Maybe faith is just lack of water.
I can see it, I guess... you'd have to have a pretty strong faith to think you could live very long without water, after all.
Re:How do they know man's actions cause this? (Score:5, Informative)
Unpublished? It's published right here: http://www.nature.com/nature/j... [nature.com]
So what data are they using to compare to the current data to determine this is caused by man's actions?
They looked at seasonal variations. If seasonal variations are causing a change in elevation, why wouldn't the volume of groundwater lost over the past century and a half also cause a change in elevation? In fact, when they compared the expected changes in elevation with the observed changes they got a pretty good match.
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So did you even try to read the article or are you a moron? You've been posting for a while here, and it's easy to draw the conclusion that you decided what you want to be true before you read it. You even state that you have seen they take into account the natural effects. Sounds like you're a moron to me, and haven't bothered to RTFA. The other thing is that you are talking about something about which you know nothing. You claim to understand yet call thing "unpublished" despite it appearing in Nature. Th
Higher Mountains = More Rain (Score:1)
Bring it on in the Sierras!
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We are DOOMED...... (Score:1)
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Can you say population control, Hmmm, lets start with the people who conduct these studies...
With and attitude like that we certainly are doomed.
Like isostasy (Score:4, Informative)
This reminds me of isostasy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isostasy/ [wikipedia.org] --as mountains erode, they rise again due to the buoyancy of the rock underneath them floating upon the magma below.
Pull out the mass of the water, and up go the mountains.
--PeterM
The Dumb Factor (Score:2)
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What disasters? The occasional earth quake about once a century and wild fires seems to be the extent of it in CA.
But you are correct, they will not ask businesses or people to leave. They may regulate them out of the state but with an eight percent corporate tax, they will likely stick around for a while. California sort of needs them in order to pay for the wild spending they like to do. It's sort of like the government is at a keg party buying pizza for everyone/.
So, california causes global warming! (Score:2)
Californication; the clues are in the song.
That's just swell.
but..but..this can't be!!! (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3)
Bar-Sever, Y. E., Kroger, P. M. & Borjesson, J. A. Estimating horizontal gradients of tropospheric path delay with a single GPS receiver. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 5019–5035 (1998)
Blewitt, G. Carrier phase ambiguity resolution for the Global Positioning System applied to geodetic baselines up to 2000 km. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 10187–10283 (1989)
Bertiger, W. et al. Single receiver phase ambiguity re
Salton Sea Water Level effects San Andreas Fault (Score:4, Interesting)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea#Earthquake_geology [wikipedia.org]
After the last flood from the Colorado River into the Salton Sea after 1900, a series of dams were built to keep the river from flowing into California. Since then there are been no really large magnitude earthquakes from the San Andreas in Southern California.
It seems extremely likely that human activity has altered the earthquake pattern. This means it is possible that removing large amounts of ground water from the San Joaquin Valley could measurably effect the height of the Sierra Nevada mountains.