Changes in global groundwater organic carbon driven by climate change and urbanization
Publication date
2020-03-09Author
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.
Lapworth, D.J.
MacDonald, A.M.
Ward, J.
Baker, A.
Rights
(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)Peer-Reviewed
YesAccepted for publication
2020-02-10
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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.Version
Accepted manuscriptCitation
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.Link to Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14946-1Type
Articleae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14946-1