Effect of Climate Variability and Change in Groundwater in Europe

Thomsen, Rikke

doi:10.2166/nh.1990.0014

Cited by 27 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…Buishand et al (2013) reported a centennial precipitation increase of 25 % for 102 stations in the Netherlands, while Tuomenvirta et al (2001) found increases ranging up to 10-30 % for Scandinavia. Increases in precipitation have also been reported for north and west Scotland (Perry, 2006), parts of Germany (Hänsel et al, 2007) and France (Thomsen, 1990), Sweden (Alexandersson, 2004) and Norway (Hanssen-Bauer, 2005); said increases seem especially connected to the northern latitudes (Klein Tank and Können, 2003) and exposure to the Westerlies (Heino et al, 2008). Likewise, the Danish area has experienced climate change for the last century, resulting in a significant increase in precipitation and temperature (Jeppesen et al, 2011;Thomsen, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Historical trends in precipitation and stream discharge at the Skjern River catchment, Denmark

Karlsson

Sonnenborg

Jensen

et al. 2014

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract.A 133 yr data set from the 1055 km 2 Skjern River catchment in western Denmark has been analysed with respect to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration and discharge. The precipitation series have been tested and corrected using the standard normal homogeneity test and subsequently corrected for undercatch. The degree of change in the climatic variables is examined using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test. During the last 133 yr the area has experienced a significant change in precipitation of 26 % and a temperature change of 1.4 • C, leading to increases in river discharge of 52 % and groundwater recharge of 86 %. A lumped conceptual hydrological model, NAM, was calibrated on the period 1951-1980 and showed generally an excellent match between simulated and observed discharge. The capability of the hydrological model to predict climate change impact was investigated by looking at performances outside the calibration period. The results showed a reduced model fit, especially for recent time periods (after the 1980s), and not all hydrological changes could be explained. This might indicate that hydrological models cannot be expected to predict climate change impacts on discharge as accurately in the future, compared to the performance under present conditions, where they can be calibrated. The (simulated) stream discharge was subsequently analysed using high flow and drought indices based on the threshold method. The extreme signal was found to depend highly on the period chosen as reference to normal. The analysis indicated that no significant amplitude increase of the hydrograph for both wet and dry extremes could be found superimposed on the overall discharge increase.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Historical trends in precipitation and stream discharge at the Skjern River catchment, Denmark

Karlsson

Sonnenborg

Jensen

et al. 2014

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…The fourth category includes coastal aquifers, which are generally subject to sea water intrusion. Thomsen (1989) evaluated the eects of climate variability and change on groundwater in Europe in terms of the expected increase or decrease in groundwater recharge depending on the regional distribution of rainfall, which was evaluated by global circulation models (GCMs). A study in Australia by Sharma (1989) revealed that a +20% change in rainfall would result in a +30% change in recharge beneath grasslands, while beneath pine plantation the corresponding change in groundwater recharge was +80%.…”

Section: Climate Change and Groundwatermentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of climate change on sea water intrusion in coastal aquifers

1999

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Abstract:There is increasing debate these days on climate change and its possible consequences. Much of this debate has focused in the context of surface water systems. In many arid areas of the world, rainfall is scarce and so is surface runo. These areas rely heavily on groundwater. The consequences of climate change on groundwater are long term and can be far reaching. One of the more apparent consequences is the increased migration of salt water inland in coastal aquifers. Using two coastal aquifers, one in Egypt and the other in India, this study investigates the eect of likely climate change on sea water intrusion. Three realistic scenarios mimicking climate change are considered. Under these scenarios, the Nile Delta aquifer is found to be more vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise.

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“…For example, Thomsen (1989) noted that recharge in most of western Denmark at the end of the nineteenth century was only half of the recharge during the period 1964-1983 because of much greater winter rainfall. A similar study of recharge sensitivity in Western Australia by Sharma (1989) concluded that a AE20 % change in rainfall would result in a AE30 % change in recharge beneath natural grasslands and AE80 % change in recharge beneath a pine plantation, indicating that recharge is greatly influenced by land use and precipitation variability.…”

Section: Groundwater Rechargementioning

confidence: 99%

Linking Climate Change and Groundwater

Green

2016

Integrated Groundwater Management

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Projected global change includes groundwater systems, which are linked with changes in climate over space and time. Consequently, global change affects key aspects of subsurface hydrology (including soil water, deeper vadose zone water, and unconfined and confined aquifer waters), surface-groundwater interactions, and water quality. Research and publications addressing projected climate effects on subsurface water are catching up with surface water studies. Even so, technological advances, new insights and understanding are needed regarding terrestrial-subsurface systems, biophysical process interactions, and feedbacks to atmospheric processes. Importantly, groundwater resources need to be assessed in the context of atmospheric CO 2 enrichment, warming trends and associated changes in intensities and frequencies of wet and dry periods, even though projections in space and time are uncertain. Potential feedbacks of groundwater on the global climate system are largely unknown, but may be stronger than previously assumed. Groundwater has been depleted in many regions, but management of subsurface storage remains an important option to meet the combined demands of agriculture, industry (particularly the energy sector), municipal and domestic water supply, and ecosystems. In many regions, groundwater is central to the water-food-energy-climate nexus. Strategic adaptation to global change must include flexible, integrated groundwater management over many decades. Adaptation itself must be adaptive over time. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of climate and groundwater interactions and to guide integrated groundwater management.

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Effect of Climate Variability and Change in Groundwater in Europe

Cited by 27 publications

References 1 publication

Historical trends in precipitation and stream discharge at the Skjern River catchment, Denmark

Historical trends in precipitation and stream discharge at the Skjern River catchment, Denmark

Effect of climate change on sea water intrusion in coastal aquifers

Linking Climate Change and Groundwater

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