Groundwater Depletion in the West Liaohe River Basin, China and Its Implications Revealed by GRACE and In Situ Measurements

Yulong Zhong,Wei Feng,Dingcheng Wu,Min Zhong,Zizhan Zhang,Yingchun Shen

doi:10.3390/rs10040493

Abstract

The West Liaohe River Basin (WLRB) is one of the most sensitive areas to climate change in China and an important grain production base in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Groundwater depletion in this region is becoming a critical issue. Here, we used the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data and in situ well observations to estimate groundwater storage (GWS) variations and discussed the driving factors of GWS changes in the WLRB. GRACE detects a GWS decline rate of −0.92 ± 0.49 km3/yr in the WLRB during 2005–2011, consistent with the estimate from in situ observations (−0.96 ± 0.19 km3/yr). This long-term GWS depletion is attributed to reduced precipitation and extensive groundwater overexploitation in the 2000s. Long-term groundwater level observations and reconstructed total water storage variations since 1980 show favorable agreement with precipitation anomalies at interannual timescales, both of which are significantly influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Generally, the WLRB receives more/less precipitation during the El Niño/La Niña periods. One of the strongest El Niño events on record in 1997–1998 and a subsequent strong La Niña drastically transform the climate of WLRB into a decade-long drought period, and accelerate the groundwater depletion in the WLRB after 1998. This study demonstrates the significance of integrating satellite observations, ground-based measurements, and climatological data for interpreting regional GWS changes from a long-term perspective.

Highlights

Groundwater, as an important component of total terrestrial water storage (TWS), plays a key role in the global water cycle
The absence of in situ monitoring well networks, low-quality observation data, and uncertainties in storage coefficients for translating groundwater level changes to groundwater storage variations restrict our knowledge of GWS changes [7,8]
The shadows show the uncertainties in TWS anomalies (TWSA) (±1.49 cm) and

Summary

Introduction

Groundwater, as an important component of total terrestrial water storage (TWS), plays a key role in the global water cycle. Overuse of groundwater has caused various environmental problems in many places globally, e.g., desiccation of Lake Urmia, groundwater depletion in Northwest India and in the California Central Valley, and land subsidence in the North China Plain [1,2,3,4,5]. Monitoring groundwater storage (GWS) is limited in many regions [6]. FurthReermmoteoSreen,s.it20c1a8,n10b,ex FuOsRedPEtEoReRsEtVimIEWate GWS changes when other TWS components can be re2mofo1v6ed or neglected. [A13q]ufiofuenr,dUgSoAod, raegsrpeeemcteinvteblye.twSueebnsethqeuGenWtlSy,esatinmuamtebs er of studiefmrsoehmaasuvGreRedmAeCemnEtosannisdntrtathhteeedGMltohibsesaiplsLsoiatpenpnditiDRaalivtoaefrAGsbRsaiAsminCilaEatnitoodnetSshyteismteHamitge(hGGLPWDlaSAindSs)epmAlqoeudtiieoflenar,nindUmtShAaon,seyrefrrseopgmeicotininvaesliltybu.asins, e.g., nSourbtshewqueesnttelyrn, aInnduima b[2er,1o4f–1st7u]d, iCesalhifaovrendiae’ms oCnesntrtartaeldVtahlelepyo, tUenStAial[3o,f1G8,R1A9]C, EthteoNesotrimthatCehGinWaSPlain (NCPd)e[p2l0e–ti2o2n],inanmdatnhye rMegiidodnalel Ebaassitn[s2, 3e]..g., northwestern India [2,14,15,16,17], California’s Central Valley, TUhSeAW[3,e1s8t,1L9i]a, tohheeNRoirvtherChBiansainPla(Win L(NRCBP),) w[20h–i2c2h],iasnldocthaeteMdidindlNe Eoarstth[e2a3s].t China (Figure 1) and is known asTthe W“Gersat nLaiaryohoef RInivneerrBMasoing(oWliLaR”,Bi)s, awmhicahjoirsglroaciante-pdriondNucoirnthgeraesgt iConhinina C(Fhiignuar,ew1)ithanadriaspidly growkinngowpnopauslathtieon“Gsrinancaer1y9o5f0 I[n2n4e,2r5M]. Many studies have compared the GRACE-derived GWS changes with independent in situ groun1d1]w. aFtuerrthmeromnoitroer, iintgcaonbsbeervuasteidontso ienstmimaantye pGaWrtSs ochf athngeews owrhlde.nAoththere TeWarSlycsotmagpeo,nReondtsecllanetbael. [12] and Srtermasosvbeedrgoretnaelg.l[e1c3te]df.ouMnadnygosotuddiaegsreheamveencotmbeptawreedenthteheGGRAWCSEe-dsetirmiveadtesGfWroSmchGaRngAeCs Ewaitnhd the GlobainldLeapnedndDenattainAsistsuimgriolautnidown aStyerstmemon(itGorLinDgAoSb)semrvoadtieolnasnind mthaonsyepfraortms oifnthsietuwmorelda.sAurtetmheeenatrslyin the Mississtsaigpep, Ri Rodivelelrebt aals.i[n12a]nadndthSetrHasisgbherPgleatinals. [A13q]ufiofuenr,dUgSoAod, raegsrpeeemcteinvteblye.twSueebnsethqeuGenWtlSy,esatinmuamtebs er of studiefmrsoehmaasuvGreRedmAeCemnEtosannisdntrtathhteeedGMltohibsesaiplsLsoiatpenpnditiDRaalivtoaefrAGsbRsaiAsminCilaEatnitoodnetSshyteismteHamitge(hGGLPWDlaSAindSs)epmAlqoeudtiieoflenar,nindUmtShAaon,seyrefrrseopgmeicotininvaesliltybu.asins, e.g., nSourbtshewqueesnttelyrn, aInnduima b[2er,1o4f–1st7u]d, iCesalhifaovrendiae’ms oCnesntrtartaeldVtahlelepyo, tUenStAial[3o,f1G8,R1A9]C, EthteoNesotrimthatCehGinWaSPlain (NCPd)e[p2l0e–ti2o2n],inanmdatnhye rMegiidodnalel Ebaassitn[s2, 3e]..g., northwestern India [2,14,15,16,17], California’s Central Valley, TUhSeAW[3,e1s8t,1L9i]a, tohheeNRoirvtherChBiansainPla(Win L(NRCBP),) w[20h–i2c2h],iasnldocthaeteMdidindlNe Eoarstth[e2a3s].t China (Figure 1) and is known asTthe W“Gersat nLaiaryohoef RInivneerrBMasoing(oWliLaR”,Bi)s, awmhicahjoirsglroaciante-pdriondNucoirnthgeraesgt iConhinina C(Fhiignuar,ew1)ithanadriaspidly growkinngowpnopauslathtieon“Gsrinancaer1y9o5f0 I[n2n4e,2r5M]. oTnhgeolbiaa”s,inisisa imn athjoer tgrraaninsi-tpiorondzuocninegbreetgwioeneninthCehIinan,ewr Mithonagolia PlateraaupiadnlydgtrhoewiSnognpgolpiauolaPtiloaninsi.ncTeh1e95w0e[2s4te,2r5n].pTahretboafsitnhies ibnatshine tirsantshietiosnouzothneobfettwheeeGn rtehaetInKnheringan MounMtaoinngso, lwiahPillaetethaue eaansdtetrhne pSaorntgilsiatohePlpailna.inThareewa e(Fstiegrunrpea1r)t. oTfhteheWbLaRsinB iiss athlseosothuethuopfsttrheeaGmrepaotrtion of theKLhiianogahneMRiovuenrtaainnds, wovheilrelitehse aeaQstuerantepranrat risythloeopsleairnoacrkeap(oFrigeuarqeu1i).feTrh, ewWhLerReBeixs taelsnosithveeugprsoturenadmwater explopgirtooaruttiinoodnnwooafctecthrueerxsL.pialoLoiahtanetdiRoniuvsoeerccaiunnrdst.hLoevaneWrdliLeusRseBainQistuhpaetreWirmnLaaRrryBilyliosogpsrreaimsrsoalcrakinlydpgoarraensdsalqacunridofeparln,adwnchdre,orpwelaietnxhdte,snwosmiivthee tree coverseodmleantrdeeincotvheeremd olaunndtaininthreegmioounn(tFaiignureregiSo1n)(.Figure S1)

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion