| Shallow aquifers are an important source of water resources and provide baseflow to streams, yet actual rates of groundwater recharge are difficult to estimate. While climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation events, the resulting impact on groundwater recharge remains poorly understood. We quantify empirical relations between storm characteristics and recharge to precipitation ratios (RPR) for a variety of geographic and land-use types across North Carolina. Increased RPR correlates with increased storm duration, whereas RPR decreases with increasing storm magnitude and intensity, especially in agricultural and urban areas. Though RPR is generally higher during the winter than the summer, this seasonal effect is magnified in the Appalachian and Piedmont regions. If, as predicted, growing seasons lengthen and storm intensity increases with a warming climate, decreased recharge in Appalachia, the Piedmont, and rapidly growing urban areas of the American southeast could further limit groundwater availability. |
