GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water-Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers

Hilary R. Martens; Nicholas Lau; Matthew J. Swarr; Donald F. Argus; Qian Cao; Zachary M. Young; Adrian A. Borsa; Ming Pan; Anna M. Wilson; Ellen Knappe; F. Martin Ralph; W. Payton Gardner

doi:10.1029/2023GL107721

GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water-Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers

Hilary R. Martens
, Nicholas Lau
, Matthew J. Swarr
, Donald F. Argus
, Qian Cao
, Zachary M. Young
, Adrian A. Borsa
, Ming Pan
, Anna M. Wilson
, Ellen Knappe
, F. Martin Ralph
, W. Payton Gardner

Geosciences

University of California at San Diego
University of Montana
California Institute of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) deliver significant and essential precipitation to the western United States (US) with consequential interannual variability. The intensity and frequency of ARs strongly influence reservoir levels, mountain snowpack, and groundwater recharge, which are key drivers of water-resource availability and natural hazards. Between October 2022 and April 2023, western states experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation from several families of powerful ARs. Using observations of surface-loading deformation from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, we find that terrestrial water-storage gains exceeded 100% of normal within vital California watersheds. Independent water-storage solutions derived from different data-analysis and inversion methods provide an important measure of precision. The sustained storage increases, which we show are closely associated with ARs at daily-to-weekly timescales, alleviated both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in the region, with a lag in hydrological-drought improvements. Quantifying water-storage recovery associated with extreme precipitation after drought advances understanding of an increasingly variable hydrologic cycle.

Original language	English
Article number	e2023GL107721
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	51
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107721
State	Published - Jul 16 2024

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

GNSS
GPS
atmospheric rivers
hydrogeodesy
hydrological drought
surface loading

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10.1029/2023GL107721

Cite this

Martens, H. R., Lau, N., Swarr, M. J., Argus, D. F., Cao, Q., Young, Z. M., Borsa, A. A., Pan, M., Wilson, A. M., Knappe, E., Ralph, F. M., & Gardner, W. P. (2024). GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water-Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(13), Article e2023GL107721. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107721

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title = "GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water-Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers",

abstract = "Atmospheric rivers (ARs) deliver significant and essential precipitation to the western United States (US) with consequential interannual variability. The intensity and frequency of ARs strongly influence reservoir levels, mountain snowpack, and groundwater recharge, which are key drivers of water-resource availability and natural hazards. Between October 2022 and April 2023, western states experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation from several families of powerful ARs. Using observations of surface-loading deformation from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, we find that terrestrial water-storage gains exceeded 100\% of normal within vital California watersheds. Independent water-storage solutions derived from different data-analysis and inversion methods provide an important measure of precision. The sustained storage increases, which we show are closely associated with ARs at daily-to-weekly timescales, alleviated both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in the region, with a lag in hydrological-drought improvements. Quantifying water-storage recovery associated with extreme precipitation after drought advances understanding of an increasingly variable hydrologic cycle.",

keywords = "GNSS, GPS, atmospheric rivers, hydrogeodesy, hydrological drought, surface loading",

author = "Martens, \{Hilary R.\} and Nicholas Lau and Swarr, \{Matthew J.\} and Argus, \{Donald F.\} and Qian Cao and Young, \{Zachary M.\} and Borsa, \{Adrian A.\} and Ming Pan and Wilson, \{Anna M.\} and Ellen Knappe and Ralph, \{F. Martin\} and Gardner, \{W. Payton\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and The Author(s). Government sponsorship acknowledged.",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1029/2023GL107721",

language = "English",

volume = "51",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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T1 - GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water-Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers

AU - Martens, Hilary R.

AU - Lau, Nicholas

AU - Swarr, Matthew J.

AU - Argus, Donald F.

AU - Cao, Qian

AU - Young, Zachary M.

AU - Borsa, Adrian A.

AU - Pan, Ming

AU - Wilson, Anna M.

AU - Knappe, Ellen

AU - Ralph, F. Martin

AU - Gardner, W. Payton

PY - 2024/7/16

Y1 - 2024/7/16

N2 - Atmospheric rivers (ARs) deliver significant and essential precipitation to the western United States (US) with consequential interannual variability. The intensity and frequency of ARs strongly influence reservoir levels, mountain snowpack, and groundwater recharge, which are key drivers of water-resource availability and natural hazards. Between October 2022 and April 2023, western states experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation from several families of powerful ARs. Using observations of surface-loading deformation from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, we find that terrestrial water-storage gains exceeded 100% of normal within vital California watersheds. Independent water-storage solutions derived from different data-analysis and inversion methods provide an important measure of precision. The sustained storage increases, which we show are closely associated with ARs at daily-to-weekly timescales, alleviated both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in the region, with a lag in hydrological-drought improvements. Quantifying water-storage recovery associated with extreme precipitation after drought advances understanding of an increasingly variable hydrologic cycle.

AB - Atmospheric rivers (ARs) deliver significant and essential precipitation to the western United States (US) with consequential interannual variability. The intensity and frequency of ARs strongly influence reservoir levels, mountain snowpack, and groundwater recharge, which are key drivers of water-resource availability and natural hazards. Between October 2022 and April 2023, western states experienced exceptionally heavy precipitation from several families of powerful ARs. Using observations of surface-loading deformation from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, we find that terrestrial water-storage gains exceeded 100% of normal within vital California watersheds. Independent water-storage solutions derived from different data-analysis and inversion methods provide an important measure of precision. The sustained storage increases, which we show are closely associated with ARs at daily-to-weekly timescales, alleviated both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in the region, with a lag in hydrological-drought improvements. Quantifying water-storage recovery associated with extreme precipitation after drought advances understanding of an increasingly variable hydrologic cycle.

KW - GNSS

KW - GPS

KW - atmospheric rivers

KW - hydrogeodesy

KW - hydrological drought

KW - surface loading

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85197278285

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DO - 10.1029/2023GL107721

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85197278285

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 51

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 13

M1 - e2023GL107721

ER -

GNSS Geodesy Quantifies Water-Storage Gains and Drought Improvements in California Spurred by Atmospheric Rivers

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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