Measuring water from space

Abstract

The use of satellite technology is revolutionizing the measurement of Earth's water.

Meta-Analysis of Satellite Observations for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Exploring the Potential of Machine Learning for Water Quality Monitoring

“…Water covers approximately two-thirds of the Earth's surface, amounting to a total volume of 332.5 million cubic miles [77][78][79][80]. Unfortunately, 97.5% of the world's water resources are saline, with 96.5% being oceanic water and the remaining 1% being saline inland water resources [77][78][79][80].…”

“…Water covers approximately two-thirds of the Earth's surface, amounting to a total volume of 332.5 million cubic miles [77][78][79][80]. Unfortunately, 97.5% of the world's water resources are saline, with 96.5% being oceanic water and the remaining 1% being saline inland water resources [77][78][79][80]. This leaves only 2.5% global freshwater resources available, and out of this freshwater, over 68% is frozen in ice and glaciers, while the remaining 30% is stored as groundwater [77][78][79][80].…”

“…Unfortunately, 97.5% of the world's water resources are saline, with 96.5% being oceanic water and the remaining 1% being saline inland water resources [77][78][79][80]. This leaves only 2.5% global freshwater resources available, and out of this freshwater, over 68% is frozen in ice and glaciers, while the remaining 30% is stored as groundwater [77][78][79][80]. Despite their scarcity, groundwater and surface freshwater sources such as wells, aquifers, springs, rivers, and lakes are the primary sources of water for human consumption [77][78][79][80].…”

“…This leaves only 2.5% global freshwater resources available, and out of this freshwater, over 68% is frozen in ice and glaciers, while the remaining 30% is stored as groundwater [77][78][79][80]. Despite their scarcity, groundwater and surface freshwater sources such as wells, aquifers, springs, rivers, and lakes are the primary sources of water for human consumption [77][78][79][80]. However, they only account for about 22,300 cubic miles of water, and this translates to approximately 0.7% of the total water resources.…”

“…However, they only account for about 22,300 cubic miles of water, and this translates to approximately 0.7% of the total water resources. Freshwater ecosystems serve as the primary sources of water for various essential purposes, such as drinking, hydro-power generation, industrial water supply, support for biodiversity, recreation, water transportation, waste management, irrigation, and aquaculture [77][78][79][80]. In addition, freshwater aquatic ecosystems play a crucial role in supporting human development activities; however, these same activities have a negative impact on the same water resources.…”