How Fast, How Deep, and How Much? — Rapid Assessment of Groundwater Recharge From 2023 California Storms With Seismic Sensing
Description:
From the last day of 2022, California was struck by a series of storms from multiple atmospheric rivers, inflicting extensive damage and hardship on Californians. These intense storms have also alleviated California's historical drought, rapidly refilling surface reservoirs; however, it remains unclear how much water, at which depth, and at what time scale California's depleted underground reservoirs have absorbed. Understanding these aspects is crucial for assessing the state's water deficit and facilitating data-informed water management.
In this study, we use existing seismological data to understand the natural recharge of aquifers in Metropolitan Los Angeles (LA) during the record-wet winter of 2023. With data from 65 broadband seismographs of the Southern California Seismic Network, we analyze spatiotemporal changes in seismic velocity (dv/v) using the ambient field across LA from January 1, 2003, to October 31, 2023. These dv/v measurements exhibit strong correlations with records of hydraulic head and satellite gravimetry, serving as an informative proxy for groundwater storage. At shallow depths, dv/v responds rapidly to precipitation events, while at deeper depths, dv/v shows a delayed response at seasonal to inter-annual scales. After the 2023 California Storm series, dv/v at shallower depths almost fully recovered, whereas at greater depths, less than 25% of total dv/v loss in the past two decades was recovered. Furthermore, our dv/v imaging across the LA metropolitan area highlights prominent aquifer replenishment in San Gabriel Valley and Raymond Basin, likely from mountain recharge. This study showcases the potential of ambient field seismology to provide new insights into groundwater fluctuations at different depths. This understanding is crucial for enhancing sustainable water management especially amidst extreme weather patterns.
Session: ESC-SSA Joint Session: Climate Change and Environmental Seismology - I
Type: Oral
Date: 5/3/2024
Presentation Time: 02:30 PM (local time)
Presenting Author: Shujuan
Student Presenter: No
Invited Presentation:
Authors
Shujuan Mao Presenting Author Corresponding Author sjmao@stanford.edu Stanford University |
Gregory Beroza beroza@stanford.edu Stanford University |
William Ellsworth wellsworth@stanford.edu Stanford University |
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How Fast, How Deep, and How Much? — Rapid Assessment of Groundwater Recharge From 2023 California Storms With Seismic Sensing
Category
ESC-SSA Joint Session: Climate Change and Environmental Seismology