Featured
-
-
Article
| Open AccessVegetation forcing modulates global land monsoon and water resources in a CO2-enriched climate
Monsoon systems have strong impacts on precipitation and food security over large areas of the world. Here, the authors show that plant responses to rising CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere play a key role in modulating seasonal rainfall and water resources over global land monsoon regions.
- Jiangpeng Cui
- , Shilong Piao
- & Gabriel J. Kooperman
-
Article
| Open AccessSignificant increase of global anomalous moisture uptake feeding landfalling Atmospheric Rivers
Increasing atmospheric temperatures are expected to have various impacts on the global water cycle. Here, the authors show that there is an intensification of atmospheric rivers, that causes enhanced evapotranspiration and thus atmospheric moisture uptake in many regions of the world.
- Iago Algarra
- , Raquel Nieto
- & Luis Gimeno
-
Article
| Open AccessMeltwater sediment transport as the dominating process in mid-latitude trough mouth fan formation
Trough mouth fans are created via repeated glacigenic sediment transport from ice sheets. Here the authors use 3D seismic reflection data to present a formation model for the North Sea Fan and find that exceptionally large volumes of meltwater may mean that freshwater supply is underestimated during glacial cycles.
- Benjamin Bellwald
- , Sverre Planke
- & Reidun Myklebust
-
Article
| Open AccessAmplified seasonal cycle in hydroclimate over the Amazon river basin and its plume region
The hydroclimatic variations of the Amazon River basin can exert profound impacts on the marine ecosystem in the Amazon plume region. Here the authors show that an amplified seasonal cycle of Amazonia precipitation during 1979–2018 leads to enhanced seasonality in both Amazon river discharge and ocean salinity.
- Yu-Chiao Liang
- , Min-Hui Lo
- & John D. Steffen
-
Article
| Open AccessIncorporating hydrology into climate suitability models changes projections of malaria transmission in Africa
Prior studies mapping climatologically suitable areas for malaria transmission have used relatively simple thresholds for precipitation. Here the authors show that when models incorporate hydrological processes a more complex pattern of malaria suitability emerges in Africa and future shifts in suitability are more pronounced.
- M. W. Smith
- , T. Willis
- & C. J. Thomas
-
Article
| Open AccessDivergent effects of climate change on future groundwater availability in key mid-latitude aquifers
Climate change may impact groundwater storage and thus the availability of freshwater resources. Here the authors use climate models to examine seven aquifers and find that storage changes are primarily the result of enhancement of evapotranspiration, reduction in snowmelt, and over-pumping rather than long-term precipitation changes.
- Wen-Ying Wu
- , Min-Hui Lo
- & Zong-Liang Yang
-
Article
| Open AccessSouth-to-North Water Diversion stabilizing Beijing’s groundwater levels
The authors here address water sustainability in the greater area of Beijing, China. Specifically, the positive effects towards Beijing groundwater levels via water diversion from the Yangtze River to the North are shown.
- Di Long
- , Wenting Yang
- & Yoshihide Wada
-
Article
| Open AccessFuture changes in the trading of virtual water
Assessments of future virtual water trading are still lacking. Here the authors estimated the global virtual water trade throughout the century and found that virtual green water exports and virtual blue water exports at least triple to more than 3200 bcm and 170 bcm, respectively, by the end of the century.
- Neal T. Graham
- , Mohamad I. Hejazi
- & Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm
-
Article
| Open AccessEnvironmental DNA allows upscaling spatial patterns of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems
Biomonitoring via environmental DNA (eDNA) is an important conservation tool for freshwater ecosystems, but this is complicated by eDNA movement downstream. Here, Carraro et al. develop and test an approach to reconstruct high-resolution spatial biodiversity patterns from freshwater eDNA.
- Luca Carraro
- , Elvira Mächler
- & Florian Altermatt
-
Article
| Open AccessGainers and losers of surface and terrestrial water resources in China during 1989–2016
The authors of this study compile data on spatial and temporal dynamics of surface water bodies across China, covering a time span from 1989 – 2016. The study describes hot-spot areas with strongly decreasing trends in surface water area and terrestrial water storage in North China and discusses implications of water resources and security in China.
- Xinxin Wang
- , Xiangming Xiao
- & Bo Li
-
Article
| Open AccessWater rights shape crop yield and revenue volatility tradeoffs for adaptation in snow dependent systems
Studies on examining the climate impact on irrigated agriculture do not account for regional specific details. Here the authors studied both the direct and indirect impact of climate change on irrigated agriculture in the Yakima River Basin (YRB) and found that increasingly severe droughts and temperature driven reductions in growing season significantly reduces expected annual agricultural productivity.
- Keyvan Malek
- , Patrick Reed
- & Michael Brady
-
Article
| Open AccessGroundwater level observations in 250,000 coastal US wells reveal scope of potential seawater intrusion
The authors here investigate in the susceptibility of coastal aquifers to seawater intrusion. Based on 20 years’ worth of observational data, the study finds that 15% of the US coastline is affected by landward hydraulic gradients conducive to seawater intrusion.
- Scott Jasechko
- , Debra Perrone
- & James W. Kirchner
-
Article
| Open AccessClimate change will affect global water availability through compounding changes in seasonal precipitation and evaporation
Adequate water availability is key to human and ecosystem sustainability. Here, the authors show that seasonally variable regimes become more variable, and the combined influence of seasonality and magnitude of climate variables will affect future water availability.
- Goutam Konapala
- , Ashok K. Mishra
- & Michael E. Mann
-
Article
| Open AccessThe root of anomalously specular reflections from solid surfaces on Saturn’s moon Titan
Anomalously specular radar reflections (ASRR) from Titan’s tropical region were interpreted earlier as evidence for liquid surfaces, but the Cassini spacecraft did not observe lakes/seas at the anomalously specular locations. Here, the authors show that ASRR originate from one terrain unit, likely paleolakes/paleoseas.
- Jason D. Hofgartner
- , Alexander G. Hayes
- & Stephen D. Wall
-
Article
| Open AccessStable isotopes show that earthquakes enhance permeability and release water from mountains
The authors investigate the groundwater table changes in the Kumamoto region (Japan) following the 2016 Mw 7.0 Kumamoto earthquake. Through detailed isotope analysis the study shows how earthquakes can rupture the crust and generate new pathways for aquifers.
- Takahiro Hosono
- , Chisato Yamada
- & Masaharu Tanimizu
-
Article
| Open AccessSocial-media and newspaper reports reveal large-scale meteorological drivers of floods on Sumatra
Floods are an important natural disaster on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, but their driving mechanisms are not well understood. Here, the authors utilize data from twitter messages and local newspaper reports to show that convectively coupled Kelvin waves play a key role in promoting floods on Sumatra.
- Dariusz B. Baranowski
- , Maria K. Flatau
- & Marzuki
-
Article
| Open AccessDrought and climate change impacts on cooling water shortages and electricity prices in Great Britain
The impacts of power plant water shortage during drought on electricity prices are understudied. Here the authors show that on extreme days, almost 50% (7 GWe) of the freshwater thermal capacity is unavailable in the Great Britain and annualized cumulative costs on electricity prices are in the range of £29-95m per year.
- Edward A. Byers
- , Gemma Coxon
- & Jim W. Hall
-
Article
| Open AccessArsenic contamination of Bangladesh aquifers exacerbated by clay layers
Generally it is thought that confining clay layers provide protection to low-arsenic groundwaters against intrusion of shallower, high-arsenic groundwater bodies. Here, the authors show that impermeable clay layers can increase arsenic input to underlying groundwater systems due to reduction of iron oxides coupled to carbon oxidation.
- Ivan Mihajlov
- , M. Rajib H. Mozumder
- & Alexander van Geen
-
Article
| Open AccessFast response of cold ice-rich permafrost in northeast Siberia to a warming climate
Siberian Arctic permafrost contains vast stores of carbon, the fate of which is dependent on the climate. Here the authors use models of future scenarios to show that under the direst climate changes up to 2/3 of the stored organic carbon could thaw.
- Jan Nitzbon
- , Sebastian Westermann
- & Julia Boike
-
Article
| Open AccessGlobal CO2 emissions from dry inland waters share common drivers across ecosystems
Many inland waters seasonally or permanently dry up, thus exposing sediments to the atmosphere. Here the authors show that a substantial amount of CO2 is emitted from these dry sediments, increasing current inland water carbon flux estimates by 6%.
- P. S. Keller
- , N. Catalán
- & R. Marcé
-
Article
| Open AccessDownstream changes in river avulsion style are related to channel morphology
River avulsions are dramatic events that can cause the loss of many human lives. The authors here investigate how river avulsion style changes with river morphology, and how these changes impact flooding and stratigraphy.
- J. M. Valenza
- , D. A. Edmonds
- & S. Roy
-
Article
| Open AccessSelf-organizing maps of typhoon tracks allow for flood forecasts up to two days in advance
Tropical cyclones can cause severe flooding when making landfall, but these water flows can often only be forecasted a few hours before. Here, the authors present a new approach using self-organizing maps and flow characteristic curves to predict tropical cyclone related runoff up to two days in advance.
- Li-Chiu Chang
- , Fi-John Chang
- & Edwin E. Herricks
-
Article
| Open AccessUrban vacant lands impart hydrological benefits across city landscapes
The authors investigate the infiltration potential of more than 500 vacant lots in the City of Buffalo, NY, USA. They found that the expanding footprint of pervious cover as urban vacant land provides stormwater volume retention benefits on an event and annual basis.
- Christa Kelleher
- , Heather E. Golden
- & William Shuster
-
Article
| Open AccessGroundwater as a major source of dissolved organic matter to Arctic coastal waters
In this study, the authors show that water flowing through thawed soils below the tundra surface (supra-permafrost groundwater) can be a major source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to Arctic coastal waters during the summer. This DOM contains leachates from old soil carbon stocks, including potential contributions from thawing permafrost.
- Craig T. Connolly
- , M. Bayani Cardenas
- & James W. McClelland
-
Article
| Open AccessNew insights into US flood vulnerability revealed from flood insurance big data
Economic estimates of flood damages rely on depth–damage functions that are inadequately verified. Here, the authors assessed flood vulnerability in the US and found that current depth–damage functions consist of disparate relationships that match poorly with observations which better follow a bimodal beta distribution.
- Oliver E. J. Wing
- , Nicholas Pinter
- & Carolyn Kousky
-
Article
| Open Access3D characterisation and quantification of an offshore freshened groundwater system in the Canterbury Bight
The authors here combine a range of geophysical data, numerical modelling and borehole data to present a high resolution map of an offshore freshened groundwater system in the Canterbury Bight, New Zealand. The study shows the extensions of the offshore freshened groundwater system to be controlled by high permeability shelf sediments, buried paleochannels and onshore rivers.
- Aaron Micallef
- , Mark Person
- & Ashwani Kumar Tiwari
-
Article
| Open AccessFresh groundwater discharge insignificant for the world’s oceans but important for coastal ecosystems
The authors here present the global entry of nutrients into marine systems through fresh submarine groundwater discharge to be below 1%. However, they also identify hotspots and argue that about 25% of world’s estuaries are at danger of eutrophication.
- Elco Luijendijk
- , Tom Gleeson
- & Nils Moosdorf
-
Article
| Open AccessComparative performance of rural water supplies during drought
The authors compared the performance of a range of rural water supply types during drought in Ethiopia. They show that prioritising access to groundwater via multiple improved water sources and technologies, such as hand-pumped and motorised boreholes, supported by monitoring and proactive operation and maintenance increases rural water supply resilience.
- D. J. MacAllister
- , A. M. MacDonald
- & R. Calow
-
Article
| Open AccessEvapotranspiration depletes groundwater under warming over the contiguous United States
New hydrological simulations show for the first time how sensitive groundwater and surface water connections are to systematic warming across the continental United States. The authors here show a clear reduction in subsurface water storage under a warming climate and intensified aridification of north America.
- Laura E. Condon
- , Adam L. Atchley
- & Reed M. Maxwell
-
Article
| Open AccessSoil structure is an important omission in Earth System Models
The effect of soil structure is not included in most Earth System Models. The authors here introduce and evaluate the consequences at local and global scale of modifying hydraulic properties of soils in response to biological activity—a process significantly changing soil structure.
- Simone Fatichi
- , Dani Or
- & Roni Avissar
-
Article
| Open AccessWarming of hot extremes alleviated by expanding irrigation
How the effects of irrigation on the climate conditions compare to other anthropogenic forcings is not well known. Observational and model evidence show that expanding irrigation has dampened historical anthropogenic warming during hot days, an effect that is particularly strong over South Asia.
- Wim Thiery
- , Auke J. Visser
- & Sonia I. Seneviratne
-
Article
| Open AccessDeglacial water-table decline in Southern California recorded by noble gas isotopes
In this study, a new analytical technique is employed to measure Kr and Xe isotopes in groundwater at high precision. These measurements indicate that gravitational signals of past water-table depth are preserved in ancient groundwater, representing a novel proxy for past terrestrial hydroclimate.
- Alan M. Seltzer
- , Jessica Ng
- & Jeffrey P. Severinghaus
-
Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to ‘Increases in temperature do not translate to increased flooding’
- Jiabo Yin
- , Pierre Gentine
- & Pan Liu
-
Matters Arising
| Open AccessIncreases in temperature do not translate to increased flooding
- Conrad Wasko
- , Ashish Sharma
- & Dennis P. Lettenmaier
-
Comment
| Open AccessIntegrating hydrology and biogeochemistry across frozen landscapes
As climate change thaws the Arctic’s foundations, new subterranean waterways form and threaten to wash away and decompose carbon once locked in permafrost. In this Comment, Vonk and co-authors outline a cross-disciplinary strategy--with hydrology at the forefront--to better understand the fate of Arctic carbon.
- J. E. Vonk
- , S. E. Tank
- & M. A. Walvoord
-
Article
| Open AccessFloodplain inundation spectrum across the United States
The variations in overbank flow from rivers onto floodplains from regional to continental scales are understudied. Here, the authors investigate this variation as a function of hydroclimatic parameters and channel size in the conterminous U.S. and find that the timing of floodplain inundation is largely controlled by regional factors, while the frequency, duration and magnitude of these inundations vary consistently with channel size.
- Durelle T. Scott
- , Jesus D. Gomez-Velez
- & Judson W. Harvey
-
Article
| Open AccessSolar and wind energy enhances drought resilience and groundwater sustainability
The role of solar and wind energy (SWE) in management of water-food-energy (WFE) nexus is largely neglected. Here the authors developed a trade-off frontier framework to quantify the water sustainability value of SWE and applied it in California, where they found that SWE penetration creates beneficial feedback for the WFE nexus by enhancing drought resilience and benefits groundwater sustainability over long run.
- Xiaogang He
- , Kairui Feng
- & Justin Sheffield
-
Article
| Open AccessMoving from drought hazard to impact forecasts
There still lacks a forecast system that inform end-users regarding the drought impacts, which will be however important for drought management. Here the authors assess the feasibility of forecasting drought impacts using machine-learning and confirm that models, which were built with sufficient amount of reported drought impacts in a certain sector, are able to forecast drought impacts a few months ahead.
- Samuel J. Sutanto
- , Melati van der Weert
- & Henny A. J. Van Lanen
-
Article
| Open AccessCritical dependence of morphodynamic models of fluvial and tidal systems on empirical downslope sediment transport
Morphological development of fluvial and tidal systems is increasingly forecasted by models, with most of them predicting unrealistically high channel incision. Here, the authors point out reasons why and suggest improvements.
- A. W. Baar
- , M. Boechat Albernaz
- & M. G. Kleinhans
-
Article
| Open AccessAnthropogenic shift towards higher risk of flash drought over China
Flash droughts are widely discussed in the scientific community since the rapid onset of the 2012 drought in the USA. Here, the authors model the temporal frequency of potential flash drought events and the exposure risk over China for the next 80 years.
- Xing Yuan
- , Linying Wang
- & Miao Zhang
-
Article
| Open AccessSnow depth variability in the Northern Hemisphere mountains observed from space
Remote sensing observations of mountain snow depth are still lacking for the Northern Hemisphere mountains. Here authors use Sentinel-1 satellite radar measurements to assess the snow depth in mountainous areas at 1 km² resolution and show that the Sentinel-1 retrievals capture the spatial variability between and within mountain ranges, as well as their inter-annual differences.
- Hans Lievens
- , Matthias Demuzere
- & Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy
-
Article
| Open AccessDeciphering key processes controlling rainfall isotopic variability during extreme tropical cyclones
“Reconstruction of precipitation variability from oxygen isotopes in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean region is made difficult by the occurrence of tropical cyclones. Here, the isotopic evolution of a tropical cyclone is studied in detail which helps disentangle the key processes governing rainfall isotope variability in the region.”
- Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo
- , Ana M. Durán-Quesada
- & Kim M. Cobb
-
Article
| Open AccessGlobal analysis reveals climatic controls on the oxygen isotope composition of cave drip water
δ18O of speleothems are a widely used paleoclimate proxy. Here, the authors conduct a global analysis of cave drip water δ18O compositions and find that drip waters from warmer climates have a seasonal bias toward precipitation δ18O of recharge periods, unlike in cooler climates where drip waters match well with recharge-weighted δ18O.
- Andy Baker
- , Andreas Hartmann
- & Martin Werner
-
Article
| Open AccessDistribution and dynamics of Greenland subglacial lakes
Subglacial lakes can influence basal hydrology and ice flow in Antarctica, but are poorly constrained in Greenland. Here the authors provide the first ice sheet-wide inventory of subglacial lakes beneath GrIS, including 54 uncharted lakes.
- J. S. Bowling
- , S. J. Livingstone
- & W. Chu
-
Article
| Open AccessElevational differences in hydrogeomorphic disturbance regime influence sediment residence times within mountain river corridors
Extreme climatic events and wildfires can potentially influence sediment residence times in rivers, although the effect is not clear. Here, the authors present radiocarbon ages to show mountain streams as stable retentive reservoirs poised to change under shifting hydrologic and fire regimes.
- Nicholas A. Sutfin
- & Ellen Wohl
-
Article
| Open AccessLocal floods induce large-scale abrupt failures of road networks
The spread of flood-induced failures in critical infrastructure systems is understudied. Here the authors apply the CaMa-Flood global river flood simulation model to estimate the flood-induced failures and their spread in China and the US and find that the number of flood-induced total failures is in-between that of random and localized damage given the same intensity.
- Weiping Wang
- , Saini Yang
- & Jianxi Gao
-
Article
| Open AccessMaritime Continent water cycle regulates low-latitude chokepoint of global ocean circulation
The freshwater surface layer from the south China seas weakens the Indonesian throughflow during boreal winter, but the impact of the monsoon water cycle of the maritime continent on this freshwater plug is unknown. Here the authors use satellite observations to show a direct link between the regional water cycle in the maritime continent and the freshwater plug.
- Tong Lee
- , Séverine Fournier
- & Janet Sprintall
-
Article
| Open AccessFour-fold increase in solar forcing on snow in western U.S. burned forests since 1999
The impacts of forest fire activity in the western US on snow melt are poorly quantified. Here the authors use satellite and field-based observations to document a four-fold increase in the solar forcing on snow in western burned forests from 1999 to 2018.
- Kelly E. Gleason
- , Joseph R. McConnell
- & Wendy M. Calvin
-
Article
| Open AccessCurrent forest carbon fixation fuels stream CO2 emissions
There is a growing consensus that groundwater inflow supplies most of the C load to streams, but the sources and timescales generating this flux are still unknown. Here, the authors demonstrate that soil respiration, derived from current forest carbon fixation, fuels stream CO2 emissions.
- A. Campeau
- , K. Bishop
- & M. B. Wallin