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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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825005178 |
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| author | Xinchun Yang Siyuan Tian Zhongshan Jiang Xiangyu Wan Mengqin Liu |
| author_facet | Xinchun Yang Siyuan Tian Zhongshan Jiang Xiangyu Wan Mengqin Liu |
| author_sort | Xinchun Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7d69913528cc4f51b39cb7b6a5a41caa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-7d69913528cc4f51b39cb7b6a5a41caa2025-08-20T03:59:40ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-10-016110268810.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102688Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling methodXinchun Yang0Siyuan Tian1Zhongshan Jiang2Xiangyu Wan3Mengqin Liu4School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China; Mianyang S&T City Division, National Remote Sensing Center of China, Mianyang 621010, ChinaBureau of Meteorology, Canberra, ACT, 2600, AustraliaSchool of Geospatial Engineering and Science, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China; Corresponding author.Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, ChinaSchool of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China; Mianyang S&T City Division, National Remote Sensing Center of China, Mianyang 621010, ChinaStudy 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825005178GRACE/GFOTerrestrial water storage anomaliesGap-filling methodHydrological droughtPearl River basin |
| spellingShingle | Xinchun Yang Siyuan Tian Zhongshan Jiang Xiangyu Wan Mengqin Liu Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies GRACE/GFO Terrestrial water storage anomalies Gap-filling method Hydrological drought Pearl River basin |
| title | Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method |
| title_full | Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method |
| title_fullStr | Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method |
| title_full_unstemmed | Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method |
| title_short | Continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the Pearl River basin using a novel GRACE/GFO gap-filling method |
| title_sort | continuous monitoring of hydrological droughts in the pearl river basin using a novel grace gfo gap filling method |
| topic | GRACE/GFO Terrestrial water storage anomalies Gap-filling method Hydrological drought Pearl River basin |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825005178 |
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