Endorheic water

Abstract

Endorheic water is the collection of water mass that is landlocked without surface outlets and thus equilibrates chiefly through evapotranspiration. The watersheds that retain endorheic water are termed endorheic basins, which constitute approximately one‐fifth of the continental area and are mostly arid or semiarid. As a result, endorheic water is limited in both flow and storage. Fresh water is particularly scarce in endorheic basins as most of their surface water is stored in terminal lakes that are usually saline. Due to its landlocked hydrology and arid climates, the already limited endorheic water is vulnerable to subtle flux perturbations, which have been amplified by climate change and human water management. Examples include the shrinkage of many saline lakes over the past century and the recent decadal loss of total water storage from global endorheic basins. An improved understanding of endorheic water dynamics is critically important to not only water security on the Earth's drylands but also the closure of the terrestrial water budget.