Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Geosciences

Committee Chair

Payton Gardner

Commitee Members

Andrew Wilcox, David Ketchum

Keywords

evapotranspiration, geodesy, hydrology

Subject Categories

Hydrology

Abstract

Evapotranspiration and mountain front recharge (MFR) help govern the availability of freshwater resources across the arid western U.S., but they are difficult to quantify regionally. This study quantifies evapotranspiration (ET) and MFR in the Sierra Nevada mountains and Central Valley of California using a watershed mass balance method and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) estimates of total water storage. Total water storage estimates for each region were derived by inverting GNSS measurements of displacement for hydrologic loading using Earth’s elastic properties. Estimates of total water storage were then combined with modeled precipitation and streamflow gage data to estimate ET and MFR from the Sierra into the Central Valley using a mass balance for each region. A Bayesian Inference model was used to estimate the posterior distributions of MFR and ET for each region. On average, annual ET was 80% precipitation in the Sierra Nevada and 200% precipitation in the Central Valley. MFR was 13-33% of precipitation, around the same volume as streamflow discharge out of the Sierra Nevada. MFR is a significant contributor to the watershed mass balance in both regions and needs to be considered when deriving estimates of ET via watershed mass balance methods in mountain-valley systems. Better understanding of watershed fluxes, especially ET and MFR, improves understanding of ground and surface water availability for both agriculture and municipal use.

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