Where is the Water Under Africa?

NGSS Phenomena:
Around 30% of the freshwater on Earth is underground. Notice the image of an aquifer, illustrating this phenomena.

In the map below, we see how much total groundwater can be found in different parts of the continent, Africa. Groundwater is refilled by rain each year.

Researchers estimate that Africa has 100 times more groundwater than the amount of rain that it gets each year. The colors at the bottom of the image show which groundwater aquifers gained new water (blue) and which have lost water (red) from 2003 to 2013.

Figure A - Groundwater resources in Africa
NGSS Phenomena: An image showing the different levels of water under the African continent.


References:



1. What created this resource and what keeps the water moving back into the aquifers?

2. Should we be concerned about these resources being replenished? Why?

3. How would you describe the distribution of groundwater in Africa?

4. Groundwater in Africa is a(n) resource.

Drag the answers below into the grey placeholders above

nonrenewable
renewable

5. What 2 pieces of evidence can support your claim about why water is distributed where it is in Africa?

6. What reasoning can explain how your evidence supports your claim about water distribution in Africa.

7. Write a claim to explain why water is distributed where it is in Africa.

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This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • MS-ESS3-1

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  • ESS3.A: Natural Resources

  • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • MS-ESS3-1

  • Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Prediction

  • ESS3.A: Natural Resources

  • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS3.A: Natural Resources

  • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

  • Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Prediction

  • MS-ESS3-1

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