Use of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment terrestrial water storage retrievals to evaluate model estimates by the Australian water resources assessment system

Climate change and the growing demand for freshwater have raised the frequency and intensity of extreme events like drought. Satellite observations have improved our understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of droughts. Since March 2002, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its successor GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) have been observing variations in Earth's gravity field yielding valuable information about changes in terrestrial water storage anomaly (TWSA). The terrestrial water storage vertically integrates all forms of water on and beneath land surface including snow, surface water, soil moisture, and groundwater storage.Drought indices help to monitor drought by characterizing it in terms of their severity, location, duration and timing. Several drought indices have been developed based on GRACE water storage anomaly from a GRACE-based climatology, most of which suffer from the short record of GRACE, about 15 years, for their climatology. The limited duration of the GRACE observations necessitates the use of external datasets of TWSA with a more extended period for climatology. Drought characterization comes with its own uncertainties due to the inherent uncertainty in the GRACE data, the various post-processing approaches of GRACE data, and different options for external datasets on the other hand.This study offers a method to quantify uncertainties for the storage-based drought index. Moreover, we assess the sensitivity of major global river basins to the duration of the observations. The outcome of the study is invaluable in the sense that it allows for a more informative storage based drought, including uncertainty, thus enabling a more realistic risk assessment.

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Divergent Trends of Water Storage Observed via Gravity Satellite across Distinct Areas in China

Water ◽

10.3390/w12102862 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 2862 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Panxing He ◽

Zongjiu Sun ◽

Zhiming Han ◽

Xiaoliang Ma ◽

Pei Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Storage ◽

Reference Value ◽

Tianshan Mountain ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Terrestrial Water Storage ◽

Local Climate ◽

Monsoon Area ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

The Government

Knowledge of the spatiotemporal variations of terrestrial water storage (TWS) is critical for the sustainable management of water resources in China. However, this knowledge has not been quantified and compared for the different climate types and underlying surface characteristics. Here, we present observational evidence for the spatiotemporal dynamics of water storage based on the products from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) in China over 2003–2016. Our results were the following: (1) gravity satellite dataset showed divergent trends of TWS across distinct areas due to human factors and climate factors. The overall changing trend of water storage is that the north experiences a loss of water and the south gains in water, which aggravates the uneven spatial distribution of water resources in China. (2) In the eastern monsoon area, the depletion of water storage in North China (NC) was found to be mostly due to anthropogenic disturbance through groundwater pumping in plain areas. However, precipitation was shown to be a key driver for the increase of water storage in South China (SC). Increasing precipitation in SC was linked to atmospheric circulation enhancement and Pacific Ocean warming, meaning an unrecognized teleconnection between circulation anomalies and water storage. (3) At high altitudes in the west, the change of water storage was affected by the melting of ice and snow due to the rising temperatures, yet the topography determines the trend of water storage. We found that the mountainous terrain led to the loss of water storage in Tianshan Mountain (TSM), while the closed basin topography gathered the melted water in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau (ITP). This study highlights the impacts of the local climate and topography on terrestrial water storage, and has reference value for the government and the public to address the crisis of water resources in China.

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An analysis of terrestrial water storage variations in Illinois with implications for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)

Water Resources Research ◽

10.1029/2000wr900306 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 37 (5) ◽

pp. 1327-1339 ◽

Cited By ~ 159

Author(s):

M. Rodell ◽

J. S. Famiglietti

Keyword(s):

Water Storage ◽

Terrestrial Water Storage ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

Gravity Recovery

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Monitoring and Analysis of Drought Using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology6030075 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 75 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmad Nemati ◽

Seyed Hossein Ghoreishi Najafabadi ◽

Gholamreza Joodaki ◽

S. Saeid Mousavi Nadoushani

Keyword(s):

Water Resource Management ◽

Arid Zone ◽

Water Storage ◽

Drought Indices ◽

Arid Zones ◽

Terrestrial Water Storage ◽

Study Results ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

Gravity Recovery ◽

Semi Arid

Drought monitoring needs comprehensive and integrated meteorological and hydrologic data. However, such data are generally not available in extensive catchments. The present study aimed to analyze drought in the central plateau catchment of Iran using the terrestrial water storage deficit index (TSDI). In this arid catchment, the meteorological and hydrologic observed data are scarce. First, the time series of terrestrial water storage changes (TWSC) obtained from the gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE) was calculated and validated by the water budget output. Then, the studied area was divided into semi-arid, arid, and hyper-arid zones and the common drought indices of SPI and RDIe within a timescale of 3, 6, and 12 months were calculated to compare the results obtained from the TSDI by using the meteorological data of 105 synoptic stations. Based on the results, the study area experienced a drought with extreme severity and expansion during 2007–2008. The drought spatial distribution map obtained from three indices indicated good conformity. Based on the maps, the severity, duration, and frequency of drought in the semi-arid zone were greater than that in other zones, while no significant drought occurred in the hyper-arid zone. Furthermore, the temporal distribution of drought in all three zones indicated that the TSDI could detect all short- and long-term droughts. The study results showed that the TSDI is a reliable, integrated, and comprehensive index. Using this index in arid areas with little field data led to some valuable results for planning and water resource management.

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Characterizing Drought in India Using GRACE Observations of Terrestrial Water Storage Deficit

Journal of Hydrometeorology ◽

10.1175/jhm-d-16-0047.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 381-396 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Debanjan Sinha ◽

Tajdarul H. Syed ◽

James S. Famiglietti ◽

John T. Reager ◽

Reis C. Thomas

Keyword(s):

Spatial Scales ◽

Water Storage ◽

Central India ◽

Terrestrial Water Storage ◽

Drought Intensity ◽

West Central ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

Almost All ◽

Gravity Recovery

Abstract Frequent recurrences of drought in India have had major societal, economical, and environmental impacts. While region-specific assessments are abundant, exhaustive appraisal over large spatial scales has been insubstantial. Here a new drought index called Water Storage Deficit Index (WSDI) is devised and analyzed for holistic representation of drought. The crux of the method is the employment of terrestrial water storage (TWS) variations from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) for quantification of drought intensity and severity. Drought events in recent times are well identified and quantified using the approach over four homogenous rainfall regions of India over the period from April 2002 to April 2015. Among the four regions, the highest peak deficit of −158.00 mm is observed in January 2015 over central India. While the drought of 2002–04 is prominent in peninsular and west-central India, the drought of 2009–10 and 2012–13 is conspicuous in almost all four regions of India. The longest deficit period of 23 months (from February 2009 to December 2010) and the highest severity value of −26.31 are observed in central and northwestern India, respectively. WSDI values show an increasing trend in west-central India (0.07 yr−1), indicating recovery from previously existing drought conditions. On the contrary, a decreasing trend in WSDI is observed in northwestern (−0.07 yr−1) and central (−0.18 yr−1) India. Results demonstrate considerable confidence in the potential of WSDI for robust characterization of drought over large spatial scales.

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Data Assimilation of Terrestrial Water Storage Observations to Estimate Precipitation Fluxes: A Synthetic Experiment

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13061223 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1223

Author(s):

Manuela Girotto ◽

Rolf Reichle ◽

Matthew Rodell ◽

Viviana Maggioni

Keyword(s):

Data Assimilation ◽

Snow Water Equivalent ◽

Water Storage ◽

Synthetic Data ◽

Terrestrial Water Storage ◽

Grace Data ◽

Precipitation Estimates ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

Snow Water ◽

Gravity Recovery

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission and its Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission provide unprecedented observations of terrestrial water storage (TWS) dynamics at basin to continental scales. Established GRACE data assimilation techniques directly adjust the simulated water storage components to improve the estimation of groundwater, streamflow, and snow water equivalent. Such techniques artificially add/subtract water to/from prognostic variables, thus upsetting the simulated water balance. To overcome this limitation, we propose and test an alternative assimilation scheme in which precipitation fluxes are adjusted to achieve the desired changes in simulated TWS. Using a synthetic data assimilation experiment, we show that the scheme improves performance skill in precipitation estimates in general, but that it is more robust for snowfall than for rainfall, and it fails in certain regions with strong horizontal gradients in precipitation. The results demonstrate that assimilation of TWS observations can help correct (adjust) the model’s precipitation forcing and, in turn, enhance model estimates of TWS, snow mass, soil moisture, runoff, and evaporation. A key limitation of the approach is the assumption that all errors in TWS originate from errors in precipitation. Nevertheless, the proposed approach produces more consistent improvements in simulated runoff than the established GRACE data assimilation techniques.

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An overview of Australian Water Resources Assessment reporting

Piantadosi, J., Anderssen, R.S. and Boland J. (eds) MODSIM2013, 20th International Congress on Modelling and Simulation ◽

10.36334/modsim.2013.l6.edraki ◽

2013 ◽

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Australian Water ◽

Water Resources Assessment ◽

Resources Assessment

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Dynamics of Terrestrial Water Storage Change from Satellite and Surface Observations and Modeling

Journal of Hydrometeorology ◽

10.1175/2009jhm1152.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 156-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Qiuhong Tang ◽

Huilin Gao ◽

Pat Yeh ◽

Taikan Oki ◽

Fengge Su ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Cycle ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Water Storage ◽

Terrestrial Water Storage ◽

Surface Observation ◽

Grace Data ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

Gravity Recovery ◽

Storage Change ◽

Surface Observations

Abstract Terrestrial water storage (TWS) is a fundamental component of the water cycle. On a regional scale, measurements of terrestrial water storage change (TWSC) are extremely scarce at any time scale. This study investigates the feasibility of estimating monthly-to-seasonal variations of regional TWSC from modeling and a combination of satellite and in situ surface observations based on water balance computations that use ground-based precipitation observations in both cases. The study area is the Klamath and Sacramento River drainage basins in the western United States (total area of about 110 000 km2). The TWSC from the satellite/surface observation–based estimates is compared with model results and land water storage from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data. The results show that long-term evapotranspiration estimates and runoff measurements generally balance with observed precipitation, suggesting that the evapotranspiration estimates have relatively small bias for long averaging times. Observations show that storage change in water management reservoirs is about 12% of the seasonal amplitude of the TWSC cycle, but it can be up to 30% at the subbasin scale. Comparing with predevelopment conditions, the satellite/surface observation–based estimates show larger evapotranspiration and smaller runoff than do modeling estimates, suggesting extensive anthropogenic alteration of TWSC in the study area. Comparison of satellite/surface observation–based and GRACE TWSC shows that the seasonal cycle of terrestrial water storage is substantially underestimated by GRACE.

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