Articles | Volume 23, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3233-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3233-2019
Research article
 | 
08 Aug 2019
Research article |  | 08 Aug 2019

Understanding the potential of climate teleconnections to project future groundwater drought

William Rust, Ian Holman, John Bloomfield, Mark Cuthbert, and Ron Corstanje

Data sets

WellMaster hydrogeological database British Geological Survey https://www.bgs.ac.uk/products/hydrogeology/wellmaster.html

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Short summary
We show that major groundwater resources in the UK exhibit strong multi-year cycles, accounting for up to 40 % of total groundwater level variability. By comparing these cycles with recorded widespread groundwater droughts over the past 60 years, we provide evidence that climatic systems (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation) ultimately drive drought-risk periods in UK groundwater. The recursive nature of these drought-risk periods may lead to improved preparedness for future droughts.