Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity
Abstract Storage-discharge relationships and dynamic changes in storage connectivity remain key unknowns in understanding and predicting watershed behavior. In this study, we use Global Positioning System measurements of load-induced Earth surface displacement as a proxy for total water storage chan...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01264-3 |
| _version_ | 1797273101315080192 |
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| author | Noah Clayton Ellen Knappe Alissa M. White Hilary R. Martens Donald F. Argus Nicholas Lau Adrian A. Borsa Rebecca Bendick W. Payton Gardner |
| author_facet | Noah Clayton Ellen Knappe Alissa M. White Hilary R. Martens Donald F. Argus Nicholas Lau Adrian A. Borsa Rebecca Bendick W. Payton Gardner |
| author_sort | Noah Clayton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Storage-discharge relationships and dynamic changes in storage connectivity remain key unknowns in understanding and predicting watershed behavior. In this study, we use Global Positioning System measurements of load-induced Earth surface displacement as a proxy for total water storage change in four climatologically diverse mountain watersheds in the western United States. Comparing total water storage estimates with stream-connected storage derived from hydrograph analysis, we find that each of the investigated watersheds exhibits a characteristic seasonal pattern of connection and disconnection between total and stream-connected storage. We investigate how the degree and timing of watershed-scale connectivity is related to the timing of precipitation and seasonal changes in dominant hydrologic processes. Our results show that elastic deformation of the Earth due to water loading is a powerful new tool for elucidating dynamic storage connectivity and watershed discharge response across scales in space and time. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:38:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63baa03554644f77bfb281020f885d45 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:38:46Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-63baa03554644f77bfb281020f885d452024-03-05T20:28:11ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-02-01511910.1038/s43247-024-01264-3Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivityNoah Clayton0Ellen Knappe1Alissa M. White2Hilary R. Martens3Donald F. Argus4Nicholas Lau5Adrian A. Borsa6Rebecca Bendick7W. Payton Gardner8Department of Geosciences, University of MontanaDepartment of Geosciences, University of MontanaDepartment of Geosciences, University of MontanaDepartment of Geosciences, University of MontanaJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyInstitute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution for Oceanography, University of California San DiegoInstitute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution for Oceanography, University of California San DiegoDepartment of Geosciences, University of MontanaDepartment of Geosciences, University of MontanaAbstract Storage-discharge relationships and dynamic changes in storage connectivity remain key unknowns in understanding and predicting watershed behavior. In this study, we use Global Positioning System measurements of load-induced Earth surface displacement as a proxy for total water storage change in four climatologically diverse mountain watersheds in the western United States. Comparing total water storage estimates with stream-connected storage derived from hydrograph analysis, we find that each of the investigated watersheds exhibits a characteristic seasonal pattern of connection and disconnection between total and stream-connected storage. We investigate how the degree and timing of watershed-scale connectivity is related to the timing of precipitation and seasonal changes in dominant hydrologic processes. Our results show that elastic deformation of the Earth due to water loading is a powerful new tool for elucidating dynamic storage connectivity and watershed discharge response across scales in space and time.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01264-3 |
| spellingShingle | Noah Clayton Ellen Knappe Alissa M. White Hilary R. Martens Donald F. Argus Nicholas Lau Adrian A. Borsa Rebecca Bendick W. Payton Gardner Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity |
| title_full | Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity |
| title_fullStr | Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity |
| title_short | Elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity |
| title_sort | elastic deformation as a tool to investigate watershed storage connectivity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01264-3 |
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