English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

. The impact of climate variability on groundwater storage has receivedlimited attention despite widespread dependence on groundwater as a resourcefor drinking water, agriculture and industry. Here, we assess the climateanomalies that occurred over Southern Africa (SA) and East Africa, south ofthe Equator (EASE), during the major El Niño event of 2015–2016, and theirassociated impacts on groundwater storage, across scales, through analysisof in situ groundwater piezometry and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE)satellite data. At the continental scale, the El Niño of 2015–2016 was associated with apronounced dipole of opposing rainfall anomalies over EASE and SouthernAfrica, north–south of ∼12∘ S, a characteristic patternof the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Over Southern Africa the most intense drought event in thehistorical record occurred, based on an analysis of the cross-scale arealintensity of surface water balance anomalies (as represented by thestandardised precipitation evapotranspiration index – SPEI), with anestimated return period of at least 200 years and a best estimate of260 years. Climate risks are changing, and we estimate that anthropogenic warmingonly (ignoring changes to other climate variables, e.g. precipitation) hasapproximately doubled the risk of such an extreme SPEI drought event. Thesesurface water balance deficits suppressed groundwater recharge, leading to asubstantial groundwater storage decline indicated by both GRACE satelliteand piezometric data in the Limpopo basin. Conversely, over EASE during the2015–2016 El Niño event, anomalously wet conditions were observed with anestimated return period of ∼10 years, likely moderated by theabsence of a strongly positive Indian Ocean zonal mode phase. The strong butnot extreme rainy season increased groundwater storage, as shown by satelliteGRACE data and rising groundwater levels observed at a site in centralTanzania. We note substantial uncertainties in separating groundwater fromtotal water storage in GRACE data and show that consistency between GRACEand piezometric estimates of groundwater storage is apparent when spatialaveraging scales are comparable. These results have implications forsustainable and climate-resilient groundwater resource management, includingthe potential for adaptive strategies, such as managed aquifer rechargeduring episodic recharge events.

The El Niño event of 2015–2016: climate anomalies and their impact on groundwater resources in East and Southern Africa