Interannual variations of the terrestrial water storage in the Lower Ob' basin from a multisatellite approach

Abstract

Temporal variations of surface water volume over inundated areas of the Lower Ob' basin in Siberia, one of the largest contributor of freshwater to the Arctic Ocean, are estimated using combined observations from a multisatellite inundation dataset and water levels over rivers and floodplains derivec from the TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) altimetry satellite. We computed time-series of monthly maps of surface water volume over the period of common availability of T/P and the multisatellite data (1993–2004). The results exhibit similar interannual variabilities with precipitation estimates and river discharge observations. This study also presents monthly estimates of groundwater and permafrost mass anomalies during 2003–2004 based on a synergistic analysis using multisatellite observations and hydrological models. Water stored in aquifer is isolated from the total water storage measured by GRACE by removing the contributions of both the surface reservoir, derived from satellite imagery and radar altimetry, and the root zone reservoir simulated by hydrological models

Permafrost Boundary Shift in Western Siberia May Not Modify Dissolved Nutrient Concentrations in Rivers

“…In accord with this general lithological context of the WSL, a dramatic difference (by a factor of ca. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] in DIC and Ca concentrations between permafrost-free and permafrost-bearing zones was recently interpreted as due to the presence of highly-soluble carbonate concretions in clay-silt bedrocks which underlie forest and peat soils in the south of the WSL [40]. In addition to this lithological impact, in summer, high concentrations of NO 3 , NH 4 , Si and K in some rivers of this region (see Figure S2 of the Supplementary Information) may be due to nutrient leaching from the soil litter of the taiga forest, abundant in the southern watersheds.…”

“…In this regard, Siberian watersheds draining both peatlands and mountain regions are at the forefront of scientific efforts because of their important role in element (C and nutrients) delivery to the Arctic Ocean [6][7][8][9]. In particular, Western Siberian watersheds are responsible for a significant part of the freshwater and solutes delivery to the Arctic Ocean [9][10][11]. These rivers flow through permafrost-affected areas which are most vulnerable to thaw [12].…”

Using Remote Sensing to Map and Monitor Water Resources in Arid and Semiarid Regions

“…Remote sensing provides an effective means for mapping the location, extent, and changes of surface water bodies over time [12,13]. For example, remotely sensed seasonal changes of lake water extent can be combined with available topographic data to estimate water volumetric storage changes and thus more accurately manage water resources [14][15][16].…”

Contribution of GRACE Satellite Gravimetry in Global and Regional Hydrology, and in Ice Sheets Mass Balance

“…This method was successfully applied to monitor large-scale climatic and anthropogenic impacts on water resources, as the detection of the recent severe drought in the Murray-Darling basin in Southern Australia (Leblanc et al, 2009) or the depletion of the aquifers in India (Rodell et al, 2009) (Figure 2b), but also to estimate aquifer storage parameters as the specific yield or storativity (Sun et al, 2010). For large drainage basins covered with extensive floodplains, changes in water stored in the aquifer is isolated from the TWS measured by GRACE by removing contributions of both the surface reservoir, derived from satellite imagery and radar altimetry, and the root zone reservoir simulated by hydrological models (Frappart et al, 2010b;2011b). In the Negro River basin, the groundwater anomalies show a realistic spatial pattern compared with the hydrogeological map of the basin (DNPM, 1983), and similar temporal variations to local in situ groundwater observations (Figure 3).…”