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Integration of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) data with traditional data sets for a better understanding of the time-dependent water partitioning in African watersheds

Mohamed Ahmed, Mohamed Sultan, John Wahr, Eugene Yan, Adam Milewski, William Sauck, Richard Becker and Benjamin Welton
Integration of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) data with traditional data sets for a better understanding of the time-dependent water partitioning in African watersheds
Geology (Boulder) (May 2011) 39 (5): 479-482

Abstract

Monthly (71 months) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) gravity field solutions acquired over North and Central Africa (August 2002-July 2008) were destriped, smoothed (250 km; Gaussian), and converted to equivalent water thickness. These data were analyzed in a geographic information system environment together with relevant data sets (e.g., topography, geology, remote sensing) to assess the utility of GRACE for monitoring elements of hydrologic systems on local scales. The following were observed over the Niger, Congo, and Nile Basins: (1) large persistent anomalies (standard deviation, SD>10 cm) on SD images over periods of 2-7 yr; (2) anomalous areas originate at mountainous source areas that receive high precipitation, extend downslope toward mountain foothills, and often continue along main channels, wetlands, or lakes that drain these areas; (3) time-series analyses over anomalous areas showed that seasonal mass variation lags behind seasonal precipitation; and (4) seasonal mass variations showed progressive shift in phase and decrease in amplitude with distance from the mountainous source areas. Results indicate that (1) the observed temporal mass variations are largely controlled by elements of the hydrologic cycle (e.g., runoff, infiltration, groundwater flow) and have not been obscured by noise, as previously thought; and (2) it is possible to use GRACE to investigate the temporal local responses of a much larger suite of hydrologic systems (watersheds, lakes, rivers, and marshes) and domains (source areas and lowlands) within watersheds and subbasins worldwide.


ISSN: 0091-7613
EISSN: 1943-2682
Coden: GLGYBA
Serial Title: Geology (Boulder)
Serial Volume: 39
Serial Issue: 5
Title: Integration of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) data with traditional data sets for a better understanding of the time-dependent water partitioning in African watersheds
Affiliation: Western Michigan University, Department of Geosciences, Kalamazoo, MI, United States
Pages: 479-482
Published: 201105
Text Language: English
Publisher: Geological Society of America (GSA), Boulder, CO, United States
References: 11
Accession Number: 2011-046138
Categories: Hydrogeology
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. sketch maps
S18°00'00" - N11°30'00", E08°30'00" - E31°30'00"
N19°00'00" - N37°30'00", W15°30'00" - E36°00'00"
Secondary Affiliation: University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, United StatesArgonne National Laboratory, USA, United StatesUniversity of Toledo, USA, United States
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data from GeoScienceWorld, Alexandria, VA, United States. Reference includes data supplied by the Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, United States
Update Code: 201126

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