Insights from GRACE Satellites on Global Water Resources

Explore the groundbreaking insights provided by two decades of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data on global hydrology in this hour-long lecture. Discover how GRACE satellites measure Earth's gravity variations, primarily controlled by water storage changes related to droughts, floods, ice melting, and human water use. Learn about the vertically integrated land total water storage (TWS) monitored by GRACE, including surface water, soil moisture, and groundwater. Understand how GRACE functions as a "scale in the sky," offering a comprehensive view of spatiotemporal variability in land water storage. Examine the evolution of attribution analysis for GRACE water storage variability, considering both human and climate drivers. Investigate GRACE's role in revealing large-scale groundwater depletion in the Indo-Gangetic Basin and how interpretation has improved through integration of additional data on human intervention and climate drivers. Explore case studies showcasing combined effects of human intervention amplifying or dampening climate effects in various basins. Gain insights into recent studies highlighting the value of ground-based monitoring and regional modeling in providing long-term context for GRACE data. Appreciate the visual power of GRACE data in communicating water storage variability to the public and its influence on water policy in regions such as India and the US.