Rapid depletion in global soil moisture has resulted in a significant amount of water flowing into the oceans, leading to a rise in sea levels. Between 2000 and 2002 the global terrestrial water storage significantly declined–a total of 1,614 billion tons of water lost to the oceans–twice as much as resulting from the current melting of Greenland ice, and equivalent to a 4.5mm rise in sea levels. Since then, rapid loss of terrestrial water storage has been followed by a more gradual but continuous depletion, with no signs of recovery.
www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2025/0513_polyu-research-reveals-sharp-depletion-in-soil-moisture/