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.

高海拔地区的气候变化正在迅速发展，导致全球山地积雪和冰川不断缩小，融雪提前发生，蒸散量（ET）不断增加，威胁着全球重要的山地径流和水资源。地下水最近被认为是山区水文系统的一个极其重要的组成部分，预计随着雪和冰储存量的减少，地下水将有助于维持山区水流。然而，地下水也无法免受气候变化的影响。气温、雪/雨比例和植被模式的变化可能会对山区地下水储存产生负面影响。我们为山区设计有效水资源管理策略的能力受到地下水观测数据极其稀缺、水文地质复杂性以及山区地下水系统变化的不确定性的限制。 该研究计划的总体目标是提高对全球山区地下水和地表水相关过程的了解，并预测未来的变化，为水资源管理提供信息。未来五年将实现两个中期目标。首先，开发非常规数据源（例如地下水泉、湿地井）并将其纳入现场监测和数值模拟，以克服数据限制并提高山区地下水系统的观测能力。新的综合观测和建模方法将在新斯科舍省布雷顿角高地国家公园当地相对容易到达的现场进行测试，以调查地下水补给源和变异性。其次，将编制全球山区地下水实地数据集，包括观测井、地下水泉和湿地井。这些数据将进行趋势统计分析，并与现有的全球数据集相结合，以确定关键的脆弱性因素（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数值模型，并应用气候预测来阐明未来山区地下水储存量的损失以及对水资源管理的影响。作为本研究的一部分，将培养 8 名高素质人才（2 名博士生、2 名硕士生和 4 名本科生）。 该研究计划将扩大我们测量、建模和管理山区地下水的能力，山区地下水是一种隐藏的、未被充分研究的但至关重要的水资源。它是首次评估不同地理环境中山区地下水系统的大规模变化，以揭示新趋势并预测未来影响。这项工作将为气候变化适应战略的设计提供信息，并有助于改善世界上居住在山区下游的 19 亿人口的饮用水、农业、水电和工业用水的水资源管理。