Progress and prospects of groundwater monitoring empowered by gravity satellites
SUN Long
Abstract：The Ministry of Water Resources has implemented the National Groundwater Monitoring Project,continuously improving the integrated monitoring system of"sky-space-earth-water-project",building a remote sensing satellite constellation for water conservancy applications,enhancing multi-regional,multi-resolution,and high-frequency observation capabilities,and promoting technological innovation with new quality productive forces.Gravity satellite remote sensing technology,with its unique advantages of overcoming terrain constraints and enabling continuous observation at large spatial scales,has broken through the technical bottlenecks of traditional land and groundwater monitoring methods,such as limited monitoring range,difficulty in data acquisition,and insufficient continuity.It can significantly improve the ability to evaluate dynamic changes in groundwater reserves.This paper briefly analyzes the progress of gravity satellite technology in groundwater monitoring,expounds on its basic principles,application research,and data products,and points out the current bottlenecks,including low spatial resolution,low accuracy at short time spans(in months),and the fact that domestically developed gravity satellites have not yet entered the stage of operational application.It further explores technical pathways for three-dimensional monitoring of groundwater storage changes:constructing downscaling models for multi-source data collaboration,developing a"four-pre"operational system for groundwater forecasting,early warning,rehearsal,and contingency planning based on gravity satellite technology,and developing a new generation of satellites for national water security.These efforts aim to realize the operational application of gravity satellites in groundwater monitoring and evaluation in key areas,effectively support rigid water resource constraints,and continuously enhance water security assurance capabilities.
Keywords：gravity satellitegroundwater monitoringoperational applicationstorage changemulti-source data collaborationspatial resolutionmonitoring system
Publication Date：2025-10-12
Online Publishing Date：2025-10-22(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 47-53 )