Articles | Volume 29, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2293-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2293-2025
Research article
 | 
19 May 2025
Research article |  | 19 May 2025

Substantial root-zone water storage capacity observed by GRACE and GRACE/FO

Meng Zhao, Erica L. McCormick, Geruo A, Alexandra G. Konings, and Bailing Li

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Short summary
Root-zone water storage capacity (Sr) helps plants survive droughts and influences water and climate systems. Using GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite data, we estimated Sr globally and found that it exceeds 2 m soil storage in nearly half of the vegetated areas, far more than previously thought. Incorporating our Sr estimates into a global hydrological model improves evapotranspiration simulations, particularly during droughts, highlighting the value of our approach for advancing water resource and ecosystem modeling.
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