Nazca Aquifer: Sustainability Assessment of Groundwater Use
Start Date
23-4-2026 12:00 AM
Description
The Nazca aquifer in the Nazca province of Peru is a key resource for both agricultural use and the community. It provides a source of clean, potable water in an otherwise arid climate. An understanding of climate history and anthropogenic sources helps establish a baseline for water use and how rainfall patterns affect recharge, thereby influencing aquifer stability in the region. Analysis from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) was used to understand current trends in groundwater depletion and the extent to which anthropogenic and climate events affect water use. Anomalies in typical water-equivalent changes link El Niño events to fluctuations in irrigation patterns. Both have shown evidence of impacting the recharge pattern in the Nazca aquifer and contribute to the consistent decline over time.
Research Highlights
The Problem: The research addresses the sustainability of groundwater use in the arid Nazca province of the Peru Desert, where a lack of field data for 47 of 94 potentially vital aquifers hinders monitoring of overconsumption driven by rapid urbanization and water-intensive agriculture like asparagus and potato farming.
The Method: The study utilizes satellite gravimetry, specifically Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) data from April 2002 to July 2025, to analyze water-equivalent thickness and groundwater storage (GWS) trends in relation to El Niño and La Niña climate cycles.
Quantitative Finding: Peak temperatures and precipitation occur between December and March with a highest recorded rainfall of 3.3 inches in February; groundwater storage (GWS) values range from 3mm to 5mm; water-equivalent thickness declined from 2cm in 2000 to approximately 0cm by 2025; a March 2017 El Niño event caused sea surface temperature anomalies of up to 3 degrees Celsius near Nazca.
Qualitative Finding: Analysis indicates a steady, slow decline in overall water-equivalent thickness over land; extreme precipitation events, such as the 2017 El Niño, disrupt natural recharge cycles because rainfall occurs too rapidly for proper soil infiltration and leads to flooding and property damage.
Recommended Citation
Roberts, Lauren, "Nazca Aquifer: Sustainability Assessment of Groundwater Use" (2026). 2026 Student Academic Showcase. 28.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/src_2026/Posters/1/28
Nazca Aquifer: Sustainability Assessment of Groundwater Use
The Nazca aquifer in the Nazca province of Peru is a key resource for both agricultural use and the community. It provides a source of clean, potable water in an otherwise arid climate. An understanding of climate history and anthropogenic sources helps establish a baseline for water use and how rainfall patterns affect recharge, thereby influencing aquifer stability in the region. Analysis from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) was used to understand current trends in groundwater depletion and the extent to which anthropogenic and climate events affect water use. Anomalies in typical water-equivalent changes link El Niño events to fluctuations in irrigation patterns. Both have shown evidence of impacting the recharge pattern in the Nazca aquifer and contribute to the consistent decline over time.