Climate to Groundwater Correlations
EO Capability Benefits
Studying the correlation between climate and groundwater provides crucial insights for sustainable water resource management. By understanding how climate variability impacts groundwater levels, we can better assess future water availability, adapt to changing conditions, and mitigate potential risks associated with climate change. This assessment can enhance climate resilience by strengthening water security. By improving our understanding of climate-groundwater interactions, we can build more resilient water systems that can withstand the impacts of climate change.
Out of the key global climatic patterns, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) significantly impacts groundwater resources by influencing precipitation patterns, which directly affect groundwater recharge and storage. This EO capability provides insights into the relationship between ENSO and groundwater storage variations.
EO Capability Description
El Niño southern Oscillation (ENSO) is one of the most important sources of annual global climate variability. It is a large-scale circulation pattern driven by periodic fluctuations in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and atmospheric pressure, primarily in the equatorial Pacific. It manifests in two distinct phases: El Niño (positive) and la Niña (negative). These phases are episodic departures from the expected SST and can affect weather patterns across the globe by influencing pressure systems, winds and precipitation patterns.
During El Niño events, warmer-than-average SSTs develop in the central and eastern Pacific, weakening the usual east-to-west trade winds and shifting global weather patterns. In contrast, La Niña is marked by cooler SSTs in the same region, accompanied by stronger trade winds that push warm water westward, allowing colder waters to rise along the South American coast.
The approach consists of the assessment of the relationship between ENSO and groundwater resource availability, the three main controlling variables—ENSO, precipitation, and groundwater storage anomalies. These are spatially averaged and compared to provide a qualitative and quantitative assessment of their relationships.
