Impact of precipitation intensity and drought patterns on groundwater storage fluctuations within the Ghis-Nekor aquifer (Morocco)

The present study examines the influence of precipitation intensity, and drought patterns on groundwater levels within the Ghis-Nekor aquifer, which is located in an arid and semi-arid region of Morocco.Besides, by using satellite-derived datasets and the innovative trend analysis (ITA) method, the research analyzed the trends in groundwater storage (GWS), which offers a more robust approach to detect long-term changes compared to traditional methods, such as the Mann-Kendall test.The study used the gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE), gridded data to estimate groundwater fluctuations, the assess the time-series trends in equivalent water thickness (EWT), and soil moisture.The obtained results indicate a significant decline in groundwater levels, with 40% of monitoring sites, which showed a substantial downward trend, and 60% experiencing even more pronounced decreases.Furthermore, the maximum estimated groundwater storage loss is 2.4 cm/year -1 .These findings underline the detrimental effects of overexploitation and inefficient irrigation practices, which contribute to ecological degradation, including increased salinity, and groundwater pollution.Although the reliance of the study on satellite data offers valuable insights, it may overlook localized variations, and the GRACE data may be less accurate in the areas with complex geological features.Despite these limitations, the research provides practical value by informing water management strategies aimed to mitigate groundwater depletion.Consequently, the novelty of this study lies in the use of the ITA technique to correlate and improve trend detection accuracy, which offer a more comprehensive understanding of groundwater changes, and support a sustainable water management practice in vulnerable areas like Ghis Nekor basin.