• Land in South Africa is rising, with some regions rising up to two millimeters per year between 2012 and 2020.
• New research suggests drought-induced water loss is a primary cause of the uplift, challenging previous theories of mantle convection.
• GPS and satellite data correlate severe droughts with land uplift, offering a new method for monitoring water loss and groundwater depletion.

Recent studies have revealed an intriguing phenomenon in South Africa: the land is gradually rising from the ocean. Initially, scientists attributed this uplift to movements deep within the Earth's crust, specifically geodynamic processes. However, new findings propose that drought-induced water loss is the primary driver. Data from GPS stations and satellite missions show that the land is rising most sharply in regions experiencing severe droughts, indicating that the reduction in water pressure allows the Earth's crust to rebound.

• What: Land in South Africa is rising, particularly in regions experiencing severe droughts.
• Who: Dr. Makan Karegar and Christian Mielke from the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation at the University of Bonn are key researchers. The University of Bonn's transdisciplinary research area Sustainable Futures is also involved.
• When: The uplift was notably pronounced between 2012 and 2020. The drought between 2015 and 2019 significantly impacted Cape Town.
• Where: South Africa, with a focus on regions experiencing severe droughts. GPS stations across the country were used to measure elevation changes.

The shift in understanding the cause of land uplift in South Africa, from mantle convection to drought-induced water loss, is significant. The research highlights the importance of considering environmental factors, like droughts, in geophysical processes. The study's findings offer a new method for monitoring water loss and groundwater depletion, which could be invaluable for water management strategies in drought-prone regions worldwide. The elastic rebound concept explains the land's rise due to the reduction in pressure from water loss.

This data showed an average rise of six millimeters between 2012 and 2020.

These results can be used to calculate, among other things, the change in the total mass of the water storage including sum of surface water, soil moisture and groundwater

Research indicates that land uplift in South Africa is linked to drought-induced water loss, challenging prior beliefs about mantle convection. GPS and satellite data confirm this connection, providing insights into water resource management. As climate change intensifies droughts globally, this new method of monitoring water loss through land rise is crucial for sustainable water management strategies.