The appraisal of groundwater storage dwindling effect, by applying high resolution downscaling GRACE data in and around Mehsana district, Gujarat, India

• Published in: Groundwater for sustainable development 2021-05, Vol.13, p.100559, Article 100559
• Main Authors: Karunakalage, Anuradha, Sarkar, Tandrila, Kannaujiya, Suresh, Chauhan, Prakash, Pranjal, Pranshu, Taloor, Ajay Kumar, Kumar, Senthil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Downscaling; Dwindling; GRACE Spherical harmonics; GWSA; JPL Mascon
• ISSN: 2352-801X; 2352-801X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gsd.2021.100559

The elementary objective of this current study estimates groundwater limitation in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, by the aid of downscaling GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) spherical harmonics (SH) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) mascon regional solutions data. A set of post monsoonal data from 2003 to 2019 is taken for this research and evaluated with a statistical model derived from empirical regression. The GRACE data spherical harmonics derived Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS), and analysis of regional scale solution of GRACE, JPL mascon estimates the Groundwater Storage Anomaly (GWSA). Both the GRACE solutions observe a negative anomaly of Groundwater Storage (GWS) change across the study area for these 15 years with −60.33±5.00 mm/year and −80.00±6.12 mm/year from downscaled GRACE SH and JPL mascon, respectively. Downscaling SH solutions has given −0.14±0.54 km3/year, −5.12±0.54 km3/year and −7.40±0.54 km3/year, and JPL mascon has derived −0.44±0.43 km3/year, −0.63±0.43 km3/year, and −0.11±0.43 km3/year mass loss across Northern Gujarat for 2003 to 2007, 2008 to 2013, and 2014 to 2019 respectively. Therefore, a highly correlated groundwater declining rates and mass loss exists between downscaling GRACE SH and JPL mascon. But the total correlation between downscaling GRACE SH derived GWSA and ground well data anomaly is higher compared to the correlation between JPL mascon anomaly and ground data anomaly. Also, downscaling SH has shown sensitive estimation with GWS change at a significant rate while comparing with JPL mascon derivations, by overcoming the signal loss of the filtered SH solutions. Thus, the study implies that statistical regression can downscale the GRACE SH solution successfully and is applicable for water management scale studies. [Display omitted] •The study estimates groundwater limitation in the Mehsana, Gujarat using downscaled GRACE SH and JPL mascon data.•The GRACE data SH derived TWS, and analysis of regional scale solution of GRACE, JPL mascon estimates the GWSA.•A highly correlated groundwater declining rates and mass loss exists between downscaling GRACE SH and JPL mascon.•The statistical regression model downscales the GRACE SH solution and is applicable for water management studies.