The role of groundwater in mountain hydrological systems under a changing climate

气候变化下地下水在山区水文系统中的作用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-02990
• 负责人: Somers, Lauren
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: Dalhousie University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=749158
• 关键词: role; groundwater; mountain; hydrological; systems

Climate change is progressing rapidly at high elevations such that mountain snowpack and glaciers are shrinking globally, snowmelt is occurring earlier in the year and evapotranspiration (ET) is increasing, threatening globally important mountain runoff and water resources. Groundwater has recently been recognized as a critically important part of mountain hydrological systems and it is expected to help sustain mountain streamflow as snow and ice storage declines. However, groundwater is not immune to the impacts of climate change; changing air temperatures, snow/rain fraction and vegetation patterns may negatively impact mountain groundwater storage. Our ability to design effective water resource management strategies for mountain regions is limited by exceptionally scarce observational data of groundwater, hydrogeologic complexity and uncertainty around how mountain groundwater systems are changing. The overall goal of this research program is to improve understanding of linked groundwater and surface water processes in mountain regions globally and project future changes to inform water resource management. Two medium-term objectives will be tackled over the next five years. First, unconventional data sources (e.g., groundwater springs, wetland wells) will be developed and incorporated into field monitoring and numerical modeling to overcome data limitations and improve observational capacity of mountain groundwater systems. New integrated observational and modelling approaches will be tested at a local, relatively accessible field site in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia, to investigate groundwater recharge sources and variability. Second, a global dataset of mountain groundwater field data will be compiled, incorporating observation wells, groundwater springs and wetland wells. This data will be statistically analysed for trends and combined with existing global datasets to identify key vulnerability factors (e.g., topography, geology, climate). Based on the new global dataset, three-dimensional groundwater flow numerical models will be developed, and climate projections will be applied to elucidate future mountain groundwater storage loss and the consequences for water resource management. 8 Highly Qualified Personnel (2 PhD, 2 Master's and 4 Undergraduate students) will be trained as part of this research. This research program will expand our ability to measure, model and manage mountain groundwater, a hidden, understudied, yet critical water resource. It constitutes the first effort to assess large-scale changes in mountain groundwater systems across different geographic settings to reveal emerging trends and project future impacts. This work will inform the design of climate change adaptation strategies and contribute to improved water management for drinking water, agriculture, hydropower and industrial use for the 1.9 billion people in the world who live downstream of mountains.

气候变化在高海拔高度上正在迅速发展，以使山脉和冰川在全球范围内缩小，融雪在今年早些时候发生，蒸散量正在增加，正在增加，威胁着全球重要的山地径流和水资源。最近，地下水被认为是山水水文系统的至关重要的一部分，随着冰雪储藏的下降，它有望帮助维持山流量。但是，地下水不能免疫气候变化的影响。变化的空气温度，雪/雨量和植被模式可能会对山地下水的存储产生负面影响。我们为山区设计有效的水资源管理策略的能力受地下水，水文复杂性和围绕山地地下水系统如何变化的不确定性的观察数据的限制。 该研究计划的总体目标是提高对全球山区山区联系的地下水和地表水过程的了解，并预测未来的变化，以告知水资源管理。在接下来的五年中，将解决两个中期目标。首先，将开发出非常规的数据源（例如，地下水弹簧，湿地井）并将其纳入现场监测和数值建模中，以克服数据限制并提高山地地下水系统的观察能力。新的综合观察方法和建模方法将在新斯科舍省布雷顿高地国家公园的地方，相对可访问的现场现场进行测试，以调查地下水补给来源和可变性。其次，将汇编全球山地地下水田地数据数据集，其中包括观察井，地下水弹簧和湿地井。该数据将在统计上分析趋势，并与现有的全球数据集相结合，以识别关键脆弱性因素（例如地形，地质，气候）。基于新的全球数据集，将开发三维地下水流量模型，并将气候预测应用于阐明未来的山区地下水存储损失以及对水资源管理的后果。这项研究的一部分将对8名高素质的人员（2位博士学位，2名硕士和4名本科生）进行培训。 该研究计划将扩大我们测量，建模和管理山地地下水的能力，这是一种隐藏的，经过研究的却是关键的水资源。它构成了评估不同地理环境中山地地下水系统大规模变化的第一个努力，以揭示新兴趋势和预测未来的影响。这项工作将为气候变化适应策略的设计提供介绍，并为世界下游山脉下游的19亿人民提供饮用水，农业，水力发电和工业用途的水管理。