Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method
Study region: The Pearl River basin, China. Study focus: Continuous hydrological drought monitoring is crucial for effective water resource management. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GFO) missions provide essential terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA)...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825005178 |
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| Summary: | Study region: The Pearl River basin, China. Study focus: Continuous hydrological drought monitoring is crucial for effective water resource management. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GFO) missions provide essential terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA) data for drought analysis; however, an 11-month data gap between them hampers consistent monitoring. This study presents a novel gap-filling method to bridge this gap. Using the gap-filled TWSA data, we track and quantify the spatiotemporal evolution of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin from 2002 to 2023. The identified droughts are validated against two established drought indices, and their climatic drivers are analyzed. New hydrological insights for the region: Over the past two decades, the Pearl River basin has experienced frequent and spatially variable hydrological droughts driven by shifting climate conditions. Fourteen basin-scale events were identified: nine during the GRACE era, primarily associated with persistent precipitation deficits, and five during the GFO era, affected by both rainfall shortages and prolonged high temperatures. One notable drought began during the GRACE–GFO gap and continued into the GFO period, highlighting the importance of bridging this interval. Recent droughts exhibited an eastward intensification trend, indicating increased vulnerability in eastern sub-basins. These findings confirm the reliability of GRACE/GFO-derived TWSA in drought detection and offer timely insights into evolving drought dynamics, supporting more effective regional water management. |
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| ISSN: | 2214-5818 |