In a stunning revelation, South Africa's land is rising by an average of 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) every year, and researchers have uncovered the surprising reason behind this phenomenon!

According to a recent study, drought and subsequent water loss are the culprits fueling this annual uplift between 2012 and 2020. Utilizing cutting-edge GPS technology, scientists have developed a model that identifies how this land elevation is intricately linked to changing weather patterns, particularly those drought conditions.

From Mystery to Clarity: The Uplift Explained

For years, experts speculated whether a hot plume of rock beneath South Africa might be responsible for this uplift. However, geodesist Makan Karegar from the University of Bonn noticed a clear correlation between land uplift and drought periods, particularly during the infamous "Day Zero" drought that threatened Cape Town's municipal water supply between 2015 and 2018.

"We began to see a pattern connecting this uplifting phenomenon to significant water loss, which was unexpected," Karegar stated.

Groundbreaking Research: GPS Data Reveals Secrets

To delve deeper, researchers collected GPS data from a network of permanent stations across the country, measuring height changes with incredible accuracy. The results, published on April 9 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, showed that as water evaporated from reservoirs and soils, the land rose—much like memory foam does after pressure is lifted.

A Surprising Revelation: Uplift Across the Nation

What astonished the study's authors was the widespread nature of the uplift. Contrary to expectations that it would mainly affect urban areas close to water reserves, uplift was evident in regions far from major cities. The study revealed some areas saw elevations soar by as much as 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) during the drought.

Christian Mielke, another coauthor, expressed his astonishment: "We expected only localized effects, but it seems drought impacts the entire landscape!"

The Uplift: A Temporary Rise?

The findings raise concerns that this uplift may not be permanent. With sufficient rainfall and water replenishment, the land's elevation could start to decline once more. "Understanding the dynamics of this uplift and its potential return to lower elevations will take time," cautioned Bill Hammond, a geodesist at the University of Nevada Reno.

A New Era of Drought Monitoring with GPS

Grabbing the researchers' attention is the potential for GPS technology to aid in drought management. Karegar highlighted that while South Africa's GPS stations are somewhat dispersed, other regions with closer networks could significantly enhance water resource management.

As scientists continue this fascinating exploration, the results could pivot our approach to monitoring environmental changes and managing our precious water resources more efficiently.