Deep Concerns

Martha Ressler

Change/ Water , 4-7

Deep below the ground is the water source for much of the US. The well on our property, for example, is 250 feet deep. (76.2 meters).

It took millions of years for aquifers to form, and they are emptying faster than they can be replenished, especially in the dry southwest of the US. 

In our county, Berks in Pennsylvania, there is only one monitoring well.

In the neighboring county of Chester there are 14!

So, in reality where we live we don’t know accurately how depleted our source of water is.

When it rains only some water seeps into the ground to eventually make its way deep into the earth. Most is runoff.

So the connection to “change” becomes obvious. 

We’re losing our aquifers.

This quilt is late because I was sick, but here it is.

The layers of earth beneath the surface include clay, shale, sandstone and shale, and limestone bedrock right beneath the water layer. This quilt is pieced with some found objects added.

Martha Ressler

Deep Concerns

40″ x 32″

Pieced with found objects appliqued. Machine quilted.

深い懸念

マーサ・レスラー

チェンジ/ウォーター、4-7

地下深くには、米国の大部分の水源があります。たとえば、私たちの井戸の深さは 250 フィートです。 (76.2メートル)。

帯水層が形成されるまでに何百万年もかかりましたが、特に米国の乾燥した南西部では、補充されるよりも早く帯水層が空になりつつあります。

私たちの郡であるペンシルベニア州バークスには、監視井戸が 1 つだけあります。

隣のチェスター郡には 14 あります。

したがって、実際のところ、私たちが住んでいる場所では、水源がどの程度枯渇しているのか正確にはわかりません。

雨が降ると、ほんの一部の水が地面に浸透し、最終的には地中深くまで浸透します。ほとんどが流出です。

したがって、「変化」とのつながりが明らかになります。

私たちは帯水層を失いつつあります。

このキルトは体調が悪くて遅れましたが、これです。

地表の下の地球の層には、粘土、頁岩、砂岩、頁岩が含まれ、水層の直下には石灰岩の岩盤があります。彼のキルトには見つけた物がいくつか追加されています。

7 thoughts on “Deep Concerns

  1. A reminder, and study for those who read your words, Martha. As we live in our homes and the lands surrounding our future, we need to know that deep concerns will grow!

    1. Thank you for your comment Catherine. How is it where you live? I wasn’t even thinking about aquifers until a few years ago in the New York Times did a special on them trying to determine the state of aquifers across the US.

  2. Such a brilliant interpretation of the earths layers! Your concerns for the earth made visible. I’d love to see this in person.

    1. Thanks, Jacque. I don’t think it’s terribly much more exciting in person. I guess you can see the stitching a little bit better that way. Anyway, it was such a struggle to get well and then get it done!

Tell us what you think.