Data · dataset · 2026
Comparison of groundwater storage changes from GRACE satellites with monitoring and modeling of major U.S. aquifers
Listed in National Center for Atmospheric Research
GRACE satellite data are widely used to estimate groundwater storage (GWS) changes in aquifers globally; however, comparisons with GW monitoring and modeling data are limited.
Description
Here we compared GWS changes from GRACE over 15 yr (2002-2017) in 14 major U.S. aquifers with groundwater-level (GWL) monitoring data in similar to 23,000 wells and with regional and global hydrologic and land surface models. Results show declining GWS trends from GRACE data in the six southwestern and south-central U.S. aquifers, totaling -90 km(3) over 15 yr, related to long-term (5-15 yr) droughts, and exceeding Lake Mead volume by similar to 2.5x.
GWS trends in most remaining aquifers were stable or slightly rising. GRACE-derived GWS changes agree with GWL monitoring data in most aquifers (correlation coefficients, R = 0.52-0.95), showing that GRACE satellites capture groundwater (GW) dynamics. Regional GW models (eight models) generally show similar or greater GWS trends than those from GRACE.
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Large discrepancies in the Mississippi Embayment aquifer, with modeled GWS decline approximately four times that of GRACE, may reflect uncertainties in model storage parameters, stream capture, pumpage, and/or recharge rates. Global hydrologic models (2003-2014), which include GW pumping, generally overestimate GRACE GWS depletion (total: approximately -172 to -186 km(3)) in heavily exploited aquifers in southwestern and south-central U.S. by similar to 2.4x (GRACE: -74 km(3)), underscoring needed modeling improvements relative to anthropogenic impacts.
Global land surface models tend to track GRACE GWS dynamics better than global hydrologic models. Intercomparing remote sensing, monitoring, and modeling data underscores the importance of considering all data sources to constrain GWS uncertainties.
Links
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- Publisher page n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7z89grn ↗
documentation · download · from data ucar edu
Where it is published
- data.ucar.edu /dataset/comparison-of-groundwater-storage-changes-from-grace-s… ↗
National Center for Atmospheric Research dataset page
landing page · from data ucar edu
Catalogue records · 1
- CKAN API data.ucar.edu/api/3/action/package_show?id=4f951450-4e40-4697-bafa-0549c1617… ↗
metadata API · from data ucar edu
Topics
- From keywords
- Earth & Environmental Science · Ocean & Atmospheric Science
- Inferred from text
- Hydrology 71% · Satellite remote sensing 65%
Provenance · 1 source records, 9 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Center for Atmospheric Research | 4f951450-4e40-4697-bafa-0549c1617972 | 12 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Field | Assertion | Extractor | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| concepts[field].anzsrc:group:3707 | enrichment · data ucar edu | taxonomy-embedding@1.1.0 | title+keywords+description (71%) |
| concepts[field].local:field:earth-environmental | mapping · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:ocean-atmospheric | mapping · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[modality].local:modality:remote-sensing | enrichment · data ucar edu | keyword-concept-rules@1.0.0 | title+description (65%) |
| created_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| description | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | /notes |
| publication_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | |
| title | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 | /title |
| updated_date | source · data ucar edu | connector:data_ucar_edu@1.0.0 |