Global groundwater warming

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Authors

Susanne A Benz, Dylan J Irvine, Gabriel C Rau, Peter Bayer, Kathrin Menberg, Philipp Blum, Rob C Jamieson, Christian Griebler, Barret L Kurylyk

Abstract

Aquifers contain the largest store of unfrozen freshwater, making groundwater critical for life on Earth. Groundwater temperatures infl uence stream thermal regimes, groundwater-dependent ecosystems, aquatic biogeochemical processes, water quality, and the geothermal potential. Yet little is known about how groundwater responds to surface warming across spatial and temporal scales. We simulate current and projected groundwater temperatures at the global scale and show that groundwater at the depth of the water table is projected to warm on average by 3.3 ° C between 2000 and 2099 (RCP 8.5). However, regional groundwater warming patterns vary substantially due to spatial variability in climate and water table depth. The highest warming rates are projected in Central Russia, Northern China, and parts of North America and the Amazon rainforest. Results also show that by 2099, 234 million people are projected to live in areas where groundwater exceeds the highest threshold for drinking water temperatures set by any country.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31223/X5Q64H

Subjects

Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Keywords

groundwater, climate change, temperature, subsurface heat transport

Dates

Published: 2022-10-01 15:56

Last Updated: 2022-10-13 06:23

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License

CC BY Attribution 4.0 International

Additional Metadata

Conflict of interest statement:
None