Abstract
Lakes are of significant importance in regulating floods and providing water sources. The seasonal water storage variations for the plain lake group in the Yangtze–Huai River Basin (YHRB) are significant for alleviating flood pressure and regulating runoff. However, to date, the seasonal amplitude of lake water storage variations and its capacity of buffering floodwater in the YHRB is not quantified well and remains to be investigated comprehensively. To advance the understanding of such a critical scientific issue, the water level data of the plain lake group (area>100 km2, 29 lakes) in the YHRB is collected from multi-source data between 1990 and 2020. Using lake inundation area obtained from Global Surface Water and water level variations, water storage dynamics for the plain lake group are quantified. Furthermore, this study also uses the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) products to analyze the terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA) in the whole basin. The results indicate that the seasonal amplitude of water level change and water storage variation of the plain lake group are 2.80 ± 0.71 m and 37.38 ± 14.19 Gt, respectively. Poyang and Dongting Lakes, two lakes that maintain the natural connection with the Yangtze River, have the most substantial seasonal amplitude in the hydrological situation. The amplitude in water level and water storage in Poyang Lake is 9.53 ± 2.02 m and 14.13 ± 5.54 Gt respectively, and that in Dongting Lake is 7.39 ± 1.29 m and 7.31 ± 3.42 Gt respectively. The contribution of seasonal variation of water storage for large plain lakes to TWSA in the YHRB is approximately 33.25%, fully reflecting these lake’s imperative position in the YHRB. This study is expected to enhance the scientific understanding of the seasonal hydrologic regime for the large lakes in the YHRB and contribute to the management of flood risks and water resources in East China.
Highlights
As a proportion of the earth’s hydrosphere, lakes play an imperative role in maintaining ecological balance, providing freshwater resources, and preventing floods (Verpoorter et al, 2014; Yang et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2018; Zhu et al, 2020; Cooley et al, 2021)
This study combined water area gained from Global Surface Water and water level data collected from satellite altimetry and in-situ observations of multiple sources, including Hydroweb, DAHITI, hydrological station, literature, and government statistics, to characterize the seasonal water level and storage variations of the plain lake group (29 lakes >100 km2) from 1990 to 2020, and estimates the seasonal amplitude of terrestrial water storage (TWS) in the Yangtze–Huai River Basin (YHRB) with Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) products
This study quantified the seasonal amplitude of water storage variations of the plain lake group in the YHRB and analyzed their water storage potential in extreme flood years
Summary
As a proportion of the earth’s hydrosphere, lakes play an imperative role in maintaining ecological balance, providing freshwater resources, and preventing floods (Verpoorter et al, 2014; Yang et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2018; Zhu et al, 2020; Cooley et al, 2021). Seasonal Amplitude of Water Storage occurred frequently (e.g., floods or droughts) (Messager et al, 2016; Marsooli et al, 2019; Bloschl et al, 2020). On account of the impact of the East Asian summer monsoon, the YHRB suffers frequent rainfalls from June to August, which makes it vulnerable to form flood disasters (Ye and Glantz, 2005; Liu & Li, 2014; Xie et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2021b). The water storage variation of lakes in the YHRB has vast seasonal fluctuations, which is significant for regulating river runoff, reducing flood disasters, and maintaining human wealth and biodiversity
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