Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1527–1538 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Publication status | Published - 4 Apr 2024 |
Abstract
Satellite gravimetry is used to study the global hydrological cycle. It is a key component in the investigation of groundwater depletion on the Indian subcontinent. Terrestrial mass loss caused by river sediment transport is assumed to be below the detection limit in current gravimetric satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission. Thus, it is not considered in the calculation of terrestrial water storage (TWS) from such satellite data. However, the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, which drain the Indian subcontinent, constitute one of the world’s most sediment-rich river systems. In this study, we estimate the impact of sediment mass loss within their catchments on local trends in gravity and consequential estimates of TWS trends. We find that for the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna catchment sediment transport accounts for (4 ± 2) % of the gravity decrease currently attributed to groundwater depletion. The sediment is mainly eroded from the Himalayas, where correction for sediment mass loss reduces the decrease in TWS by 0.22 cm of equivalent water height per year (14 %). However, sediment mass loss in the Brahmaputra catchment is more than twice that in the Ganges catchment, and sediment is mainly eroded from mountain regions. Thus, the impact on gravimetric TWS trends within the Indo–Gangetic Plain – the main region identified for groundwater depletion – is found to be comparatively small (< 2 %).
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Water Science and Technology
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol. 28, No. 7, 04.04.2024, p. 1527–1538.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sediment transport in South Asian rivers high enough to impact satellite gravimetry
AU - Klemme, Alexandra
AU - Warneke, Thorsten
AU - Bovensmann, Heinrich
AU - Weigelt, Matthias
AU - Müller, Jürgen
AU - Rixen, Tim
AU - Notholt, Justus
AU - Lämmerzahl, Claus
N1 - This study in these interdisciplinary realms of geodesy and climate research was enabled by funding from the Norddeutscher Wissenschaftspreis (North German Science Prize). The article processing charges for this open-access publication were covered by the University of Bremen.
PY - 2024/4/4
Y1 - 2024/4/4
N2 - Satellite gravimetry is used to study the global hydrological cycle. It is a key component in the investigation of groundwater depletion on the Indian subcontinent. Terrestrial mass loss caused by river sediment transport is assumed to be below the detection limit in current gravimetric satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission. Thus, it is not considered in the calculation of terrestrial water storage (TWS) from such satellite data. However, the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, which drain the Indian subcontinent, constitute one of the world’s most sediment-rich river systems. In this study, we estimate the impact of sediment mass loss within their catchments on local trends in gravity and consequential estimates of TWS trends. We find that for the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna catchment sediment transport accounts for (4 ± 2) % of the gravity decrease currently attributed to groundwater depletion. The sediment is mainly eroded from the Himalayas, where correction for sediment mass loss reduces the decrease in TWS by 0.22 cm of equivalent water height per year (14 %). However, sediment mass loss in the Brahmaputra catchment is more than twice that in the Ganges catchment, and sediment is mainly eroded from mountain regions. Thus, the impact on gravimetric TWS trends within the Indo–Gangetic Plain – the main region identified for groundwater depletion – is found to be comparatively small (< 2 %).
AB - Satellite gravimetry is used to study the global hydrological cycle. It is a key component in the investigation of groundwater depletion on the Indian subcontinent. Terrestrial mass loss caused by river sediment transport is assumed to be below the detection limit in current gravimetric satellites of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission. Thus, it is not considered in the calculation of terrestrial water storage (TWS) from such satellite data. However, the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, which drain the Indian subcontinent, constitute one of the world’s most sediment-rich river systems. In this study, we estimate the impact of sediment mass loss within their catchments on local trends in gravity and consequential estimates of TWS trends. We find that for the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna catchment sediment transport accounts for (4 ± 2) % of the gravity decrease currently attributed to groundwater depletion. The sediment is mainly eroded from the Himalayas, where correction for sediment mass loss reduces the decrease in TWS by 0.22 cm of equivalent water height per year (14 %). However, sediment mass loss in the Brahmaputra catchment is more than twice that in the Ganges catchment, and sediment is mainly eroded from mountain regions. Thus, the impact on gravimetric TWS trends within the Indo–Gangetic Plain – the main region identified for groundwater depletion – is found to be comparatively small (< 2 %).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85190130426&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5194/hess-28-1527-2024
DO - 10.5194/hess-28-1527-2024
M3 - Article
VL - 28
SP - 1527
EP - 1538
JO - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
JF - Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
SN - 1027-5606
IS - 7
ER -