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Changes in global groundwater organic carbon driven by climate change and urbanization

McDonough, L.K.
Santo, I.R.
Andersen, M.S.
O'Carroll, D.M.
Rutlidge, H.
Meredith, K.
Oudone, P.
Bridgeman, John
Gooddy, D.C.
Sorensen, J.P.R.
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Publication Date
2020-03-09
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(c) 2020 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
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2020-02-10
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Abstract
Climate change and urbanization can increase pressures on groundwater resources, but little is known about how groundwater quality will change. Here, we rely on 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 which control many biogeochemical reactions. Groundwater ions, 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 threats to groundwater resources.
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Accepted manuscript
Citation
McDonough LK, Santos IR, Andersen MS et al (2020) Changes in global groundwater organic carbon driven by climate change and urbanization. Nature Communications. 11: 1279.
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