Mapping Spatio-temporal Groundwater Storage Changes in Memphis Aquifer: Integration of GRACE satellite, Ground-based Estimates and Hydrologic Modeling approach

Title: GRACE Project

Water resource management requires better understanding of trend and seasonality of groundwater that has historically relied on a network of well levels or hydrological models. The Memphis aquifer is the main source for public supply water in western Tennessee; however, spatio-temporal mapping of groundwater in this region is lacking. NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has been providing a powerful data source for large scale groundwater assessments although its native spatial resolution (1° by 1°) has been incompatible for local to regional scale water management purpose. This proposal aims to downscaling GRACE-derived groundwater storage (GWS) at a target resolution of 0.25° by 0.25° from January 2003 to December 2016 in Shelby County, Tennessee.