K. M. Ellett

A Framework for Assessing the Potential of Remote-sensed Gravity to Provide New Insight on the Hydrology of the Murray-Darling Basin

Abstract Achieving a successful long-term strategy for sustainable water resource management of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) requires improvement in understanding of the integrated hydrological system and assessing the impacts of land use and climate change on this system. The recent launch of a satellite mission called GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) has the potential to lead to new insight on the hydrology of the MDB. By observing changes in the earth’s gravity field at unprecedented accuracy, the GRACE mission is now providing the first-ever observations of changes in total water storage occurring within the earth’s major river basins. This paper outlines the possible applications of GRACE to the MDB and presents a framework designed to assess the overall utility of this novel satellite observation. The framework integrates hydrological modelling and data assimilation techniques with ground-based monitoring of water storage components (e.g. soil moisture and ground water). Early results from this framework indicate that GRACE should provide a statistically significant measure of water storage change across the MDB. Comparisons of modelling results to ground-based measurements from the Murrumbidgee catchment illustrate the potential for GRACE to directly improve model prediction by way of data assimilation methods.