Study on Groundwater Storage Changes in Henan Province Based on GRACE and GLDAS

Haijun Xu () and Dongpeng Liu
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Haijun Xu: School of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Dongpeng Liu: School of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-20

Abstract: As a major agricultural center in China, Henan Province is highly dependent on groundwater resources for its socioeconomic development. However, under the triple pressure of intensive agricultural irrigation, surging industrial water demand, and accelerating urbanization, the sustainable use of groundwater resources has become a key issue for regional development. This paper utilizes GRACE satellite data and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) assimilation model from 2003 to 2023 to invert alterations in terrestrial water storage (TWS) and groundwater storage (GWS) in Henan Province. We examine the factors influencing these changes and compare the spherical harmonic coefficient (SH) data with Mascon data, integrating precipitation and soil moisture data. Using the GRACE Mascon data as a reference, GWS in Henan Province exhibited a stable trend from January 2003 to October 2010, with a rate of −0.060 cm/month. From October 2010 to June 2020, GWS demonstrated a declining trend, with a rate of −0.121 cm/month. Conversely, from June 2020 to December 2023, GWS revealed a significant upward trend, with a rate of 0.255 cm/month. The TWS and GWS of the inverse performances of the Centre for Space Research (CSR) SH data and the CRS Mascon data exhibited a similar trend, albeit with differing values. Additionally, the precipitation data, soil moisture, and GLDAS data demonstrated significant seasonal variations, with a lag of approximately two months between changes in precipitation and GWS. Declining GWS could be related to climatic and anthropogenic factors. The changes in groundwater in Henan Province studied in this paper can provide a reference for the sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in the region.

Keywords: GRACE; GLDAS; terrestrial water storage; groundwater storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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