South Africa is gradually lifting out of the ocean — and it’s not due to deep Earth processes, as previously thought. A new study led by researchers at the University of Bonn finds that widespread drought and water loss are the main drivers behind the country’s unexpected land uplift.
– Droughts caused the country to rise by six millimeters between 2012 and 2020
The graph shows the water losses and gains in South Africa between 2012 and 2020. The browner the region, the higher the water loss. The triangles represent GPS stations. A red triangle means that this station has risen in height since 2012. Credit: AG Kusche | University of Bonn
Climate change is lifting South Africa out of the ocean
The change in height of the different GPS stations (red = rising; blue = sinking). The rise was particularly pronounced in the drought between 2015 and 2019. Credit: AG Kusche | University of Bonn