Connecting the dots: groundwater temperature data as a key element in Climate Change conversation

As our planet faces the complex challenges of global climate change, understanding and effectively communicating critical environmental indicators becomes critical. This study explores the importance of monitoring and reporting variation of groundwater temperature as a key component in understanding the broader implications of climate change.

Groundwater, a key reservoir of the Earth's freshwater, plays a crucial role in moderating surface temperature and sustaining ecosystems. However, its temperature dynamics remain poorly studied despite its fundamental influence on groundwater dependent ecosystems and geothermal processes.

This research synthesises groundwater temperature data from 15 different monitoring wells located in the unconfined shallow aquifer, consisting of gravel and sand, of Piedmont Po plain (NW Italy).
Daily groundwater temperature data, available from 2010 onwards, were analysed and statistical elaboration performed evaluating the trend and the temperature anomalies.
The regional distribution of mean monthly groundwater temperatures varied 7.7 and 14.0 ◦C and showed a general increase of the value up to 2.1 °C/10 years.
Because the findings underline the urgent need for improved data communication strategies to disseminate valuable information to policy makers, researchers and the society, a proposal of dissemination approach is proposed in the paper.

By illustrating and communicating the intricate interplay between groundwater temperature and climate change, this research aims to facilitate informed decision-making and promote a proactive approach towards climate resilience. The study not only contributes to the expansion of knowledge on climate science and groundwater impacts, but also underlines the imperative of easy and accessible reporting of data in addressing the multiple challenges posed by a rapidly changing global climate.