It is known that the human activities have a major impact on the Earth, and most of the time in a negative way. And while the impact of human activities on the Earth's surface has been well studied, we don't know exactly what's going on inside planet in our subsoil. Or do we know?
Hydrology researchers from the University of Arizona (they collaborated with other universities) investigated how human activities affect the Earth, deep inside it, in a zone that is hundreds of metres to several kilometres below the surface.
The researchers compared the fluid production rates, such as the oilwith the natural circulation of water and showed how people affect the circulation of fluids in the subsoil.
According to one of the researchers, the subsoil is out of sight, which is why most people don't even think about it. However, there are our environmental impacts there too.
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Η Study says that in the future, human-induced fluid flows are projected to increase, with strategies proposed as solutions to climate change. Such strategies include. geological carbon sequestration, which captures and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide Carbon in underground porous rocks, the geothermal energy production, which involves circulating water through hot rocks to generate electricity and more.
“Responsible subsoil management is central to any effort for a green transition, for a sustainable future and for the preservation of Temperature below certain degrees", said about human activities in the subsoil, the Peter Reiners, professor in the UArizona Department of Geosciences and co-author of the study.
With oil and gas production, there is always some quantity water, usually saline, that comes from the Earth's interior. The groundwater is often millions of years old and acquires the "salinity"of either the evaporation of the ancient sea water Water or by reaction with rocks and minerals. For more efficient oil recovery, more water, from sources close to the surface, is added to the salty Water to replenish the amount of oil removed and maintain the tank pressures. The mixed saline water is then re-injected to the surface. Thus, we are talking about a cycle of fluid production and re-injection into the subsoil.
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The same process occurs in lithium mining, geothermal energy production and geological carbon sequestration.
"We show that the liquid injection rates or recharge rates from these oil and gas activities are greater than what is naturally occurring", an investigator said.
Using data from a variety of sources, the research team found that the current fluid movement rates, caused by human activities, are higher than the way fluids move naturally.
As human activities increase, researchers predict how these activities could be recorded in the geological record, which is the history of the Earth as recorded in the rocks that make up the bark of. They conclude that the human activities affect not only the deep groundwater, but also the microbes that live there. As fluids circulate, microbial environments can be altered by changes in water chemistry or through the introduction of new microbes from the surface of the Earth.
Researchers say there are still many things we don't know about the impact of human activities on the Earth's subsurface, but it is important to find out.
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Human activities can lead to significant changes in geological structure and the composition of the rocks. This can affect the stability of the soil and cause geological changes in the phenomena. In addition, as we said, the distribution and movement of groundwater is affected. This can lead to changes in the quality and availability of water for human use, and can also affect wetlands.
Source: phys.org
