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Potential Impacts of Prospective Climate Change on Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States

Completed
By John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis October 22, 2013
Groundwater withdrawals in the western US are a critical component of the water resources strategy for the region. Climate change already may be substantially altering recharge into groundwater systems; however, the quantity and direction (increase or decrease) of changes are relatively unknown as most climate change assessments have focused on surface water systems. We propose to conduct a broad scale literature review followed by a synthesis of available data, analysis and simulations with available downscaled climate scenarios to understand how recharge in the western US might respond to plausible climatic shifts during the rest of the 21st Century. We will produce an estimated range of impacts on groundwater recharge across the region and in so doing develop a research portfolio of knowledge gaps that present major obstacles to further progress.


 

Publications:

Meixner, T., Manning, A. H., Stonestrom, D. A., Allen, D. M., Ajami, H., Blasch, K. W., … Walvoord, M. A. (2016). Implications of Projected Climate Change for Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States. Journal of Hydrology, 534, 124-138. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.12.027

Niraula, Rewati, Thomas Meixner, Hoori Ajami, Matthew Rodell, David Gochis, and Christopher L. Castro. "Comparing potential recharge estimates from three Land Surface Models across the western US." Journal of Hydrology 545 (2017): 410-423. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.12.028

Niraula, R., Meixn er, T., Dominguez, F.,Bhattarai, N., Rodell, M., Ajami, H.,Gochis, D., & Castro, C. (2017). How might recharge change under projected climate change in the western U.S.?.Geophysical Research Letters, 44,10,407-10,418. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075421
 

Principal Investigator(s):
Thomas Meixner (University of Arizona)
David A Stonestrom (Branch of Regional Research, Western Region)
Bridget Scanlon (UT at Austin)
Andrew H Manning (Central Mineral Resources Team)

Participant(s):
Hoori Ajami (University of New South Wales, Sydney)
Diana Allen (Simon Fraser University)
Kyle W Blasch (Montana Water Science Center)
Andrea Brookfield (U.S. Geological Survey)
Chris Castro (University of Arizona)
Jordan Clark (University of California Santa Barbara)
Alan L Flint (USGS Sacramento-Northern California Project Office, CA Water Science Center)
David Gochis (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)
Colin Kikuchi (University of Arizona)
Kirstin L. Neff (University of Arizona)
Matt Rodell (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Kamini Singha (Colorado School of Mines)
Michelle Ann Walvoord (USGS Branch of Regional Research, Central Region)
 

Michelle Walvoord

Research Hydrologist
Water Resources Mission Area
Phone
303-236-4998

Kyle Blasch, Ph.D.

Associate Regional Director
Northwest-Pacific Islands Region
Phone
208-901-1579

Andrew H Manning

Research Geologist
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Phone
303-236-1812
Groundwater withdrawals in the western US are a critical component of the water resources strategy for the region. Climate change already may be substantially altering recharge into groundwater systems; however, the quantity and direction (increase or decrease) of changes are relatively unknown as most climate change assessments have focused on surface water systems. We propose to conduct a broad scale literature review followed by a synthesis of available data, analysis and simulations with available downscaled climate scenarios to understand how recharge in the western US might respond to plausible climatic shifts during the rest of the 21st Century. We will produce an estimated range of impacts on groundwater recharge across the region and in so doing develop a research portfolio of knowledge gaps that present major obstacles to further progress.


 

Publications:

Meixner, T., Manning, A. H., Stonestrom, D. A., Allen, D. M., Ajami, H., Blasch, K. W., … Walvoord, M. A. (2016). Implications of Projected Climate Change for Groundwater Recharge in the Western United States. Journal of Hydrology, 534, 124-138. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.12.027

Niraula, Rewati, Thomas Meixner, Hoori Ajami, Matthew Rodell, David Gochis, and Christopher L. Castro. "Comparing potential recharge estimates from three Land Surface Models across the western US." Journal of Hydrology 545 (2017): 410-423. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.12.028

Niraula, R., Meixn er, T., Dominguez, F.,Bhattarai, N., Rodell, M., Ajami, H.,Gochis, D., & Castro, C. (2017). How might recharge change under projected climate change in the western U.S.?.Geophysical Research Letters, 44,10,407-10,418. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL075421
 

Principal Investigator(s):
Thomas Meixner (University of Arizona)
David A Stonestrom (Branch of Regional Research, Western Region)
Bridget Scanlon (UT at Austin)
Andrew H Manning (Central Mineral Resources Team)

Participant(s):
Hoori Ajami (University of New South Wales, Sydney)
Diana Allen (Simon Fraser University)
Kyle W Blasch (Montana Water Science Center)
Andrea Brookfield (U.S. Geological Survey)
Chris Castro (University of Arizona)
Jordan Clark (University of California Santa Barbara)
Alan L Flint (USGS Sacramento-Northern California Project Office, CA Water Science Center)
David Gochis (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)
Colin Kikuchi (University of Arizona)
Kirstin L. Neff (University of Arizona)
Matt Rodell (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Kamini Singha (Colorado School of Mines)
Michelle Ann Walvoord (USGS Branch of Regional Research, Central Region)
 

Michelle Walvoord

Research Hydrologist
Water Resources Mission Area
Phone
303-236-4998

Kyle Blasch, Ph.D.

Associate Regional Director
Northwest-Pacific Islands Region
Phone
208-901-1579

Andrew H Manning

Research Geologist
Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Phone
303-236-1812
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