IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v11y2020i1d10.1038_s41467-020-14946-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Liza K. McDonough

    (Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
    School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney)

  • Isaac R. Santos

    (Southern Cross University
    University of Gothenburg)

  • Martin S. Andersen

    (Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney)

  • Denis M. O’Carroll

    (Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney)

  • Helen Rutlidge

    (Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney)

  • Karina Meredith

    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO))

  • Phetdala Oudone

    (Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
    School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney)

  • John Bridgeman

    (University of Bradford)

  • Daren C. Gooddy

    (British Geological Survey)

  • James P. R. Sorensen

    (British Geological Survey)

  • Dan J. Lapworth

    (British Geological Survey)

  • Alan M. MacDonald

    (British Geological Survey, Lyell Centre)

  • Jade Ward

    (British Geological Survey)

  • Andy Baker

    (Connected Waters Initiative Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
    School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney)

Abstract

Climate change and urbanization can increase pressures on groundwater resources, but little is known about how groundwater quality will change. Here, we use 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 that control biogeochemical reactions. Dissolved inorganic chemistry, 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 constraints on groundwater resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Liza K. McDonough & Isaac R. Santos & Martin S. Andersen & Denis M. O’Carroll & Helen Rutlidge & Karina Meredith & Phetdala Oudone & John Bridgeman & Daren C. Gooddy & James P. R. Sorensen & Dan J. La, 2020. "Changes in global groundwater organic carbon driven by climate change and urbanization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-14946-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14946-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14946-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-020-14946-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Qiang & Zhang, Chen & Li, Rongrong, 2022. "Towards carbon neutrality by improving carbon efficiency - A system-GMM dynamic panel analysis for 131 countries’ carbon efficiency," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    2. Tingting Li & Zengzhang Guo & Chao Ma, 2022. "Dynamic Characteristics of Urbanization Based on Nighttime Light Data in China’s “Plain–Mountain Transition Zone”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Chen, Wanxu & Chi, Guangqing, 2022. "Urbanization and ecosystem services: The multi-scale spatial spillover effects and spatial variations," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    4. Helena Osterholz & Stephanie Turner & Linda J. Alakangas & Eva-Lena Tullborg & Thorsten Dittmar & Birgitta E. Kalinowski & Mark Dopson, 2022. "Terrigenous dissolved organic matter persists in the energy-limited deep groundwaters of the Fennoscandian Shield," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-14946-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.