Fossil Water

06/07/25

“How do we classify groundwater that’s been contained for thousands of years?”

Confined aquifers can hold groundwater for large periods of time. Groundwater that’s been confined for millennia is known as Fossil Water. Large fossil water aquifers are found in the Eastern Sahara Desert in Northern Africa,  the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, and the High Plains in the Central U.S. Fossil water is typically non-renewable, so people need to conserve the water carefully.