Groundwater storage changes and influencing factors in the Mongolian Plateau

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00054

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 272-284.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00054

Groundwater storage changes and influencing factors in the Mongolian Plateau

Mengyao Zhou¹(), Zhiming Xin², Yiben Cheng¹()

^1.College of Soil and Water Conservation，Beijing Forestry University，Beijing 100083，China
^2.Desert Forestry Experimental Center，Chinese Academy of Forestry，Dengkou 015200，Inner Mongolia，China

Received:2024-11-04 Revised:2025-03-20 Online:2025-07-20 Published:2025-08-18
Contact: Yiben Cheng

Abstract

Abstract:

The study of water resources and vegetation dynamics in groundwater-dependent ecosystems on the Mongolian Plateau is of great scientific significance for the sustainable utilization of water resources on the Mongolian Plateau. In this study， we used the Mongolian Plateau as the study area， calculated the changes of groundwater reserves on the Mongolian Plateau based on the GRACE gravity satellite， and analyzed the trends of groundwater reserves and their relationships with NDVI， precipitation， and evapotranspiration from 2002 to 2021 by using the Sen slope estimation， the M-K trend test， and Pearson's correlation coefficient calculation method. The results show that：（1） the groundwater storage in the Mongolian Plateau shows an overall decreasing trend in time， and the rate of decrease gradually accelerates； spatially， the groundwater storage in the north and the central part of the Plateau slightly decreases， while in the west and the south it decreases more， and the rate of change of the groundwater storage is -347.38 mm·a^-1， and the rate of decrease of the groundwater in Inner Mongolia is larger than that in Mongolia. （2） The changes in NDVI and groundwater reserves on the Mongolian Plateau are correlated. In the northern and southeastern parts of the Plateau， NDVI and groundwater reserves are negatively correlated， with a significant negative correlation accounting for only 1.39% of the total； in the central part of the Plateau， there is a positive correlation， with a significant positive correlation accounting for 9.33% of the total. （3） Precipitation and groundwater storage changes are correlated on the Mongolian Plateau. In the southwestern part of the Plateau， there is a positive correlation between precipitation and groundwater storage changes， with a significant positive correlation accounting for 5.41% of the area； in the eastern and northwestern parts of the Plateau， there is a negative correlation， with a significant negative correlation accounting for 3.36% of the area. （4） The evapotranspiration on the Mongolian Plateau is a key factor affecting the change of groundwater storage， and the evapotranspiration has a significant effect on the change of groundwater storage. In the northeast of the Mongolian Plateau， the significant positive correlation accounts for 2.87% of the area， and the negative correlation between the northwest and the southeast， and the significant negative correlation accounts for 3.95% of the area. In the future， the area covered by vegetation in Mongolia should be increased and the rate of vegetation increase in Inner Mongolia should be reduced moderately. The study reveals the spatial and temporal variations of groundwater storage on the Mongolian Plateau， and its correlation with the influencing factors. It provides data support for ecological restoration of the Mongolian Plateau.

Key words: Mongolian Plateau, desertification control, GRACE satellite, groundwater, groundwater-dependent ecosystems

CLC Number:

TV211.1

Mengyao Zhou, Zhiming Xin, Yiben Cheng. Groundwater storage changes and influencing factors in the Mongolian Plateau[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2025, 45(4): 272-284.

Figures/Tables 12

Fig.1 Map of the Mongolian Plateau

Fig.2 Month-to-Month and annual average changes in groundwater storage in the Mongolian Plateau，Mongolia and Inner Mongolia

Fig.3 Changes in average monthly groundwater reserves in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia

Fig.4 Spatial distribution of groundwater storage trends in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.5 20-year average NDVI between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.6 Trends in NDVI between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.7 Correlation between NDVI and groundwater storage changes in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.8 Trends in precipitation in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.9 Correlation between precipitation and groundwater storage changes in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.10 Trends in evapotranspiration in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Fig.11 Correlation between evapotranspiration and groundwater storage changes in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

Table 1 Pearson's correlation between groundwater storage and impact factors in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia

影响因子	内蒙古			蒙古国
影响因子	NDVI	降水量	蒸散发	NDVI	降水量	蒸散发
相关系数	-0.721	-0.317	-0.825	-0.476	-0.293	-0.839
P值	<0.01	≥0.05	<0.01	<0.05	≥0.05	<0.01

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Groundwater storage changes and influencing factors in the Mongolian Plateau

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