Dry, dusty fields, rationed water, unforgiving clear skies: Sicily continues to languish, stricken by drought. In the last few hours, however, a report by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has aired a potential solution: the discovery of a huge underground reservoir, set deep in the heart of the island, between 800 and 2100 meters deep.

Scientists estimate that the volume of water stored is about 17 billion cubic meters. The reservoir would lie below the Monti Iblei in southern Sicily. A study published in Nature Portfolio's journal Communications Earth & Environment found its presence in the Gela Formation, a Triassic carbonate platform in the subsurface of southern Sicily.

The basin discovery was the result of an approach that combined deep oil well analysis with advanced three-dimensional subsurface modeling techniques.

These softened waters could have diverse uses, from potability to use for industrial and agricultural purposes. And it cannot be ruled out that in the near future, thanks to the aforementioned innovative approach, other similar deposits could be identified either in the depths of Etna or in the northwestern part of the island; or even in other areas of Italy and the Mediterranean characterized by water scarcity and similar geological conditions.