Dr. Billy Moore explains how the cycle of water flow is changing. Dr. Billy Moore, distinguished professor emeritus from USC and an internationally recognized marine scientist, spoke to the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club November 13. His

topic, The Subterranean

Estuary, was the result of 15 years of research into the unseen zone between the land and the ocean.

Dr. Moore has explored this unseen world with assistance from the University of Oldenburg in Germany, UNESCO, and the National Science Foundation. He has analyzed the mixing of fresh water and sea water around the world and come to the conclusion that the direction of flow has reversed in the last 10 years. For centuries, the flow was from land to sea, but now water flows from sea to land through the subterranean estuary.

According to Dr. Moore, this changing cycle of water flow is altering the chemical composition of water on the land and in the sea. The nutrient–rich areas in the oceans are decreasing, greatly affecting our fishing industry and its associated supply of seafood. The underground aquifer is decreasing and becoming brackish, affecting our supply of drinking water and agricultural irrigation. The situation is not rosy by any means.

The Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club meets monthly for fine dining followed by a stimulating presentation by a practicing explorer. For information, contact Chapter Chair John Hodge at jhodge7ac@bellsouth.net.