Phys.org November 6, 2023
Groundwater overdraft gives rise to multiple adverse impacts including land subsidence and permanent groundwater storage loss. Existing methods are unable to characterize groundwater storage loss at the global scale with sufficient resolution to be relevant for local studies. A team of researchers in the US (Colorado State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Desert Research Institute) explored the interrelation between groundwater stress, aquifer depletion, and land subsidence using remote sensing and model-based datasets with a machine learning approach. They developed a model which predicted global land subsidence magnitude at high spatial resolution (~2 km), provided a first order estimate of aquifer storage loss due to consolidation of ~17 km3/year globally, and quantified key drivers of subsidence. Roughly 73% of the mapped subsidence occurred over cropland and urban areas, highlighting the need for sustainable groundwater management practices over these areas. According to the researchers the result of this study helps in assessing the spatial extents of subsidence in known subsiding areas, and in locating unknown groundwater stressed regions… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Two-way partial dependence plots of input variables. Credit: Nature Communications volume 14, Article number: 6180 (2023)Â