Cryosphere-groundwater connectivity is a missing link in the mountain water cycle

• Published in: Nature Water
• Main Authors: van Tiel, Marit, Aubry-Wake, Caroline, Somers, Lauren, Andermann, Christoff, Avanzi, Francesco, Baraer, Michel, Chiogna, Gabriele, Daigre, Clémence, Das, Soumik, Drenkhan, Fabian, Farinotti, Daniel, Fyffe, Catriona, L, de Graaf, Inge, Hanus, Sarah, Immerzeel, Walter, Koch, Franziska, Mckenzie, Jeffrey, Müller, Tom, Popp, Andrea, L, Saidaliyeva, Zarina, Schaefli, Bettina, Schilling, Oliver, S, Teagai, Kapiolani, Thornton, James, M, Yapiyev, Vadim
• Other Authors: Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich), Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Universiteit Utrecht / Utrecht University Utrecht, Dalhousie University Halifax, Géosciences Rennes (GR), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR), Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), CIMA Research Foundation, Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) under project no. FNW0004 004-2019-00., Walter Benjamin fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG) under project no. 510684314, European Project: 101041110 ,GROW
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2024
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.HY]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Hydrology; permafrost
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-04674297; https://insu.hal.science/insu-04674297/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-04674297/file/VanTiel_et_al_NW_Cryo_groundwater_perspective_revision.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00277-8

International audience The mountain cryosphere and groundwater play pivotal roles in shaping the hydrological cycle, yet their connectivity remains incompletely understood. Current knowledge on meltwater recharge and consequent groundwater discharge processes is better developed for snow–groundwater connectivity than for glacier–groundwater connectivity. Estimates of meltwater recharge vary considerably, which is probably a function of not only inherent catchment characteristics but also of the different spatio-temporal scales involved and the uncertainties in the methods used. This hinders a comprehensive understanding of the mountain water cycle. As glaciers retreat, permafrost thaws and snowpack diminishes, the relative importance of mountain groundwater is expected to increase. However, shifting and declining recharge from the cryosphere may decrease absolute groundwater amounts and fluxes with as-yet unknown effects on catchment-scale hydrological processes. We therefore stress the need to better quantify mountain cryosphere–groundwater connectivity to predict climate change impacts on mountain water supply and to support sustainable water resource management of downstream socio-ecological systems.