### South Africa's Land Elevation: A New Geological Phenomenon Linked to Drought

In a surprising turn of events, South Africa is experiencing an upward shift in its landscape, rising steadily above sea level—a phenomenon that scientists assert is not due to tectonic activity. This intriguing geological behavior, attributed to severe drought conditions, has opened new avenues of understanding about Earth's dynamic processes and methods for monitoring water resources.

Scientists from the University of Bonn have observed this gradual but significant elevation change. Their research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, indicates that the land in specific South African regions is rising at rates up to 2 millimeters per year. Although this may appear minor, it represents a substantial movement in geological terms.

From 2012 to 2020, data from South Africa’s extensive network of permanent GPS stations demonstrated an average land elevation increase of 6 millimeters in various regions. The Western Cape province experienced the most pronounced changes, with gains of 5-6 millimeters, particularly during the extreme drought between 2015 and 2019. Regions such as Pretoria and northern KwaZulu-Natal also exhibited elevation increases, albeit at slightly lower rates of 2-3 millimeters per year.

This pattern of elevation directly correlates with drought intensity, challenging traditional models of land movement. The absence of water pressure, due to evaporation and consumption during droughts, appears to allow the earth's crust to rise, akin to a compressed foam ball expanding when the weight is removed.

The team confirmed their hypothesis by integrating GPS measurements with data from the GRACE satellite mission, which monitors variations in Earth's gravitational field. Their findings decisively showed that areas experiencing water mass loss concurrently displayed elevations in land height, validating the drought-driven uplift theory.

This discovery has profound implications for groundwater monitoring. By utilizing existing GPS networks, scientists can now infer underground water levels with impressive precision, paving the way for more effective water crisis management. For instance, such monitoring could have mitigated the severity of Cape Town’s 2018 water crisis, where the city nearly exhausted its drinking water supplies.

As climate models forecast increasingly frequent and severe droughts worldwide, this monitoring strategy might prove crucial across arid regions like the Sahel, California, and the Mediterranean basin. Beyond water management, this phenomenon highlights how environmental changes can significantly reshape our understanding of geological processes.

The study, titled "GNSS Observations of the Land Uplift in South Africa: Implications for Water Mass Loss," not only deciphers South Africa's rising landscape but also lays the foundation for innovative environmental monitoring techniques in a world facing escalating water stress.