Estimating long-term groundwater storage and its controlling factors in Alberta, Canada

摘要

Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources for economic development and environmental sustainability. In this study, we estimated groundwater storage in 11 major river basins across Alberta, Canada, using a combination of remote sensing (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, GRACE), in situ surface water data, and land surface modeling estimates (GWSA(sat)). We applied separate calculations for unconfined and confined aquifers, for the first time, to represent their hydrogeological differences. Storage coefficients for the individual wells were incorporated to compute the monthly in situ groundwater storage (GWSA(obs)). The GWSA(sat) values from the two satellite-based products were compared with GWSA(obs) estimates. The estimates of GWSA(sat) were in good agreement with the GWSAobs in terms of pattern and magnitude (e.g., RMSE ranged from 2 to 14 cm). While comparing GWSAsat with GWSA(obs), most of the statistical analyses provide mixed responses; however the Hodrick-Prescott trend analysis clearly showed a better performance of the GRACE-mascon estimate. The results showed trends of GWSA(obs) depletion in 5 of the 11 basins. Our results indicate that precipitation played an important role in influencing the GWSA(obs) variation in 4 of the 11 basins studied. A combination of rainfall and snowmelt positively influences the GWSA(obs) in six basins. Water budget analysis showed an availability of comparatively lower terrestrial water in 9 of the 11 basins in the study period. Historical groundwater recharge estimates indicate a reduction of groundwater recharge in eight basins during 1960-2009. The output of this study could be used to develop sustainable water withdrawal strategies in Alberta, Canada.