Simulating the sensitivity of evapotranspiration and streamflow to large-scale groundwater depletion

Condon, Laura E.; Maxwell, Reed M.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav4574

Title: Simulating the sensitivity of evapotranspiration and streamflow to large-scale groundwater depletion

Journal Article · 01 June 2019 · Science Advances

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav4574 · OSTI ID:1626008

^[1];

^[2]

Arizona State Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

Groundwater pumping has caused marked aquifer storage declines over the past century. In addition to threatening the viability of groundwater-dependent economic activities, storage losses reshape the hydrologic landscape, shifting groundwater surface water exchanges and surface water availability. A more comprehensive understanding of modern groundwater-depleted systems is needed as we strive for improved simulations and more efficient water resources management. Here, we begin to address this gap by evaluating the impact of 100 years of groundwater declines across the continental United States on simulated watershed behavior. Subsurface storage losses reverberate throughout hydrologic systems, decreasing streamflow and evapotranspiration. Evapotranspiration declines are focused in water-limited periods and shallow groundwater regions. Streamflow losses are widespread and intensify along drainage networks, often occurring far from the point of groundwater abstraction. Our integrated approach illustrates the sensitivity of land surface simulations to groundwater storage levels and a path toward evaluating these connections in large-scale models.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1626008

Journal Information:: Science Advances, Vol. 5, Issue 6; ISSN 2375-2548

Publisher:: AAASCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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