Research
When rain returns after a drought, groundwater reserves don’t always get caught up before the next drought
Earth.com · By Luis Arrais ·
The Brief
- When a drought breaks, rain returns first, followed by soil moisture, plants and rivers, with groundwater usually recovering last.
- In some places the next drought arrives before groundwater has caught up.
- A new global analysis suggests that in most places groundwater refills faster, according to the Earth.com report; the excerpt provided is cut off before the full findings.
Why it matters
Water planning often assumes groundwater recovers between droughts, and a shortfall in recovery can leave aquifers depleted when the next dry period begins.
Who’s affected
- hydrologists and water resource managers
- people who depend on groundwater for drinking water or irrigation
- #groundwater
- #drought
- #hydrology
- #water resources
- #climate
When a drought breaks, the rain returns first, then the soil moisture, the plants and the rivers. Groundwater usually comes last, and in some places the next drought arrives before it has caught up. A new global analysis suggests that, in most places, groundwater refills faster…