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Arid Land Geography ›› 2022, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (6): 1836-1846.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2022.083

• Earth Information Sciences • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Groundwater storage and population exposure in the Yellow River Basin based on GRACE data

DENG Chun1,2(),JIANG Xiaohui1(),SUN Weifeng2   

  1. 1. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Xi’an 710127, Shaanxi, China
    2. Department of Economics and Management, Yuncheng University, Yuncheng 044000, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2022-03-04 Revised:2022-05-19 Online:2022-11-25 Published:2023-02-01
  • Contact: Xiaohui JIANG E-mail:dengchun-2005@163.com;xhjiang@nwu.edu.cn

Abstract:

In recent years, the contradiction between humans and water resources in the Yellow River Basin,China has become increasingly prominent, particularly the excessive consumption of groundwater has become one of the main contradictions restricting the harmonious development of humans and nature in this region. Based on GRACE satellite data and GLDAS data, the change in groundwater storage of the Yellow River Basin was calculated from 2003 to 2016, then its temporal and spatial characteristics were explored, and population exposure in areas with significant groundwater decline was identified. The results show the following: (1) In terms of spatial distribution, the groundwater storage of the Yellow River Basin are more in the west and less in the east, the degree of decline from the west to east continues to intensify, and the decline area shows a spreading trend from the lower reaches to the middle and upper reaches. (2) The groundwater storage showed a downward trend in the Yellow River Basin from 2003 to 2016, with an average annual decrease of 5.93 mm·a−1. It is a continuous decline from 2004 to 2016, and the biggest drop occurs in 2015—2016. In addition, there is a seasonal effect on the time change of groundwater storage, groundwater storage declines the most in spring, the second most in winter, the third most in autumn, and the least in summer. (3) Based on the risk of groundwater exposure, the characteristics of population density of prefecture-level cities are high in the east, low in the west, and have a staggered distribution in the middle, and there are 16 prefecture-level cities with the highest population density at risk of exposure. The cumulative percentage of the population with groundwater storage decline exhibited a clear upward trend, reaching a maximum in 2016. The results provide scientific reference for sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in the Yellow River Basin.

Key words: GRACE, groundwater storage change, spatial-temporal characteristics, population exposure risk, Yellow River Basin