Groundwater dropping globally

Satellites find supply falling mostly due to agriculture

SAN FRANCISCO — Groundwater levels have dropped in many places across the globe over the past nine years, a pair of gravity-monitoring satellites finds. This trend raises concerns that farmers are pumping too much water out of the ground in dry regions.

DRYING OUT A simulation based on data from the GRACE satellites and historical weather records reveals the effects of this year’s drought in Texas (driest conditions shown in dark red).