Abstract
In this study, the temporal and spatial variations of groundwater drought using a Standardized Groundwater Level Index (SGI) were analyzed based on 40 monthly groundwater level observation wells from 1989 to 2012 in Jiangsu Province, China. Meteorological drought, calculated by the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), was also included to reveal its propagation and impact on the groundwater drought process. Results showed that the southern region of Jiangsu faced more frequent groundwater droughts and lower intensity, while the northern region faced less frequent groundwater drought with higher intensity. Furthermore, the cross-correlation between the spatial average of SGI and SPI for SPI accumulation periods of q = 1 to 12 was computed. The relationship between SGI and SPI varied in different regions. Detailed analysis of the characteristics of groundwater and meteorological drought for each region showed that meteorological droughts happened more frequently than groundwater drought in Jiangsu Province during the study period, while the mean duration and mean magnitude of groundwater droughts were longer and larger than those of meteorological droughts. It is expected that this study will provide useful information for drought monitoring and mitigation in Jiangsu and similar areas.
Highlights
Natural droughts are recurring phenomena that affect all components of the water cycle [1].It is commonly considered that drought originates from precipitation deficiency and propagation through the hydrological cycle
Significant negative trends of the Standardized Groundwater Level Index (SGI) index towards dryer conditions were mainly found in the northwest region (NW) region and the central region, whereas positive trends of SGI towards wetter conditions were mainly found in the northeast region (NE) region; the southern region showed a non-significant dryer trend
The present study has analyzed the groundwater drought characteristics, building on the standardized index proposed by Bloomfield and Marchant. Unlike those who investigated the cross-correlation between groundwater drought and meteorological drought at 14 wells in unconfined consolidated aquifers in the United Kingdom, the present study has investigated the character of groundwater drought in unconsolidated aquifers in Jiangsu Province and the response of groundwater drought to meteorological drought at a regional scale
Summary
It is commonly considered that drought originates from precipitation deficiency and propagation through the hydrological cycle. Different types of physical drought can be defined depending on the hydrological variable considered. Groundwater drought, which is a type of hydrological drought characterized by sustained low groundwater levels, reduced baseflow, and reduced flows to springs and groundwater-fed rivers and wetlands [3,4], has profound adverse impacts on water resources such as groundwater discharge to the groundwater-dependent surface waters and ecosystems, and affects public water supply, industry supplies, and agricultural irrigation [5]. Groundwater drought originates from meteorological drought, which lack of precipitation combined with higher evaporation rates propagates through the hydrological cycle, into soil moisture depletion and eventually into the
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