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Hydrology and Land Surface Studies
Global depletion of groundwater resources
Article first published online: 26 OCT 2010
DOI: 10.1029/2010GL044571
Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.
Additional Information
How to Cite
, , , , , and (2010), Global depletion of groundwater resources, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L20402, doi:10.1029/2010GL044571.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 26 OCT 2010
- Article first published online: 26 OCT 2010
- Manuscript Accepted: 13 SEP 2010
- Manuscript Revised: 3 SEP 2010
- Manuscript Received: 3 JUL 2010
Keywords:
- groundwater depletion;
- global hydrology;
- water stress;
- sea level rise
[1] In regions with frequent water stress and large aquifer systems groundwater is often used as an additional water source. If groundwater abstraction exceeds the natural groundwater recharge for extensive areas and long times, overexploitation or persistent groundwater depletion occurs. Here we provide a global overview of groundwater depletion (here defined as abstraction in excess of recharge) by assessing groundwater recharge with a global hydrological model and subtracting estimates of groundwater abstraction. Restricting our analysis to sub-humid to arid areas we estimate the total global groundwater depletion to have increased from 126 (±32) km3 a−1 in 1960 to 283 (±40) km3 a−1 in 2000. The latter equals 39 (±10)% of the global yearly groundwater abstraction, 2 (±0.6)% of the global yearly groundwater recharge, 0.8 (±0.1)% of the global yearly continental runoff and 0.4 (±0.06)% of the global yearly evaporation, contributing a considerable amount of 0.8 (±0.1) mm a−1 to current sea-level rise.