Drought and water loss caused South Africa to rise an average of 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) between 2012 and 2020, according to a new study.
Scientists have developed a new model to measure this land uplift and associated water loss using global positioning system (GPS) data. In South Africa, they found that uplift patterns correlated with droughts and with seasonal shifts between dry and wet seasons. The GPS-based model could help researchers spot signs of drought in the future, the researchers suggest.
