How Sierra Nevada snowpack confounds Central Valley groundwater readings
Monday, June 5, 2023 - 16:18
in Earth & Climate
Billions of tons of snow piled atop the Sierra Nevada Mountains can cause parts of the Central Valley, just west of the range, to sink—muddling groundwater assessments that take sinking as a sign of depleted aquifers. A recent Stanford University study is now offering a way to account for this heavy mountain snowpack and more accurately gauge groundwater levels.