Satellite gravimetry-based analysis of terrestrial water storage and its relationship with run-off from the Lena River in eastern Siberia

Abstract

We used 146 months of data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) spanning the period from April 2002 to August 2015 to analyse terrestrial water storage (TWS) in the Lena River basin. We examined the lag correlation between TWS values and the annual run-off from the Lena River and found a strong linear relationship between a given year’s river run-off and the TWS during November of the previous year. This relationship persisted throughout the winter until the following May. We also found a negative trend in TWS in the downstream portion of the Lena River basin, which might be explained by increasing evapotranspiration associated with warming summer air temperatures. A better understanding of the Arctic freshwater cycle will require additional GRACE data and river run-off data.