Changes in global groundwater organic carbon driven by climate change and urbanization
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Date
2020-03-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Nature
Abstract
Climate change and urbanization can increase pressures on groundwater resources, but little is known about how groundwater quality will change. Here, we use a global synthesis (n = 9,404) to reveal the drivers of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is an important component of water chemistry and substrate for microorganisms that control biogeochemical reactions. Dissolved inorganic chemistry, local climate and land use explained ~ 31% of observed variability in groundwater DOC, whilst aquifer age explained an additional 16%. We identify a 19% increase in DOC associated with urban land cover. We predict major groundwater DOC increases following changes in precipitation and temperature in key areas relying on groundwater. Climate change and conversion of natural or agricultural areas to urban areas will decrease groundwater quality and increase water treatment costs, compounding existing constraints on groundwater resources. © 2020, The Author(s)
Description
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Keywords
Ground water, Carbon, Climatic change, Environmental impacts, Geochemistry, Urban areas, Water quality, Land use
Citation
McDonough, L. K., Santos, I. R., Andersen, M. S., O’Carroll, D. M., Rutlidge, H., Meredith, K., Oudone, P., Bridgeman, J., Gooddy, D. C., Sorensen, J. P. R., Lapworth, D. J., MacDonald, A. M., Ward, J. & Baker, A. (2020). Changes in global groundwater organic carbon driven by climate change and urbanization. Nature communications, 11(1), 1-10, 1279. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-14946-1