Water level alterations on the southern rim of the Guarani Aquifer due to the rain regime

Abstract

This paper estimated the total water storage variation in the southern rim of the Guarani Aquifer System during a three-year time span, making use of data provided by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment. Monthly data were used to estimate the Bouguer anomaly in Southern Brazil. A direct modeling, using the Bouguer plateau, was applied to quantitatively estimate the water volume variation of a specific thickness in the studied region. Meteorological almanac data were compared to the gravitational alterations. We found a direct proportionality between the monthly rain average and the water table level. A simple model was found to forecast water accumulation as a function of rainfall regime, which is validated by a Pearson index of 0.82 that indicates a strong correlation between pluviometric and gravimetric data. In order to raise the stored water level near the recharge area by 1 mm, approximately 3 mm of rainfall is needed.

Keywords:
Guarani Aquifer System; Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment; Bouguer anomaly; gravimetry