Sariago et al. (2026) A potentially transferable grid-based SWAT+ framework for groundwater recharge estimation informed by satellite-derived evapotranspiration in data-scarce volcanic islands

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Modelling & Software
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-15
• Authors: Rodrigo Sariago, Alejandro Sánchez‐Gómez, Carlos Baquedano, Jorge Martínez-León, Jon Jiménez, Almudena de la Losa Román, Juan Carlos Santamarta Cerezal, Alejandro García-Gil
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107110

Research Groups

• Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME)
• Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
• Universidad Polit´ecnica de Madrid (UPM)
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis
• Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of La Laguna (ULL)

Short Summary

This study introduces a grid-based SWAT+ framework for estimating groundwater recharge in data-scarce volcanic islands. The model integrates satellite-derived evapotranspiration to capture spatiotemporal hydrogeological and climatic heterogeneity.

Objective

• Estimate recharge rates under data-scarce volcanic island conditions using a calibrated, model-based approach.
• Quantify the spatiotemporal variability of recharge across the island.
• Identify key components of the water balance controlling recharge estimates.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Grid-based watershed discretization with 703 grid cells (625 m on a side).
• Temporal Scale: Daily to monthly time steps, with a five-year warm-up period and a simulation period from 2000 to 2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) version 3.0.8.
• Data sources:
  • Satellite-derived actual evapotranspiration (AET) from TerraClimate.
  • Meteorological data from 32 weather stations, including precipitation, temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, and relative humidity.
  • Soil properties and infiltration capacity from field measurements and interpolation.

Main Results

• The model estimated a mean annual recharge of 58 mm yr−1 (P05–P95: 31–89 mm yr−1) for El Hierro Island.
• Recharge variability was influenced predominantly by land use, with secondary controls from soil and topography.

Contributions

• This study provides a potentially transferable methodology for estimating groundwater recharge in data-scarce volcanic island environments.
• The grid-based SWAT+ framework integrates satellite-derived evapotranspiration to capture spatiotemporal hydrogeological and climatic heterogeneity.

Funding

• Not specified.

Citation

@article{Sariago2026potentially,
  author = {Sariago, Rodrigo and Sánchez‐Gómez, Alejandro and Baquedano, Carlos and Martínez-León, Jorge and Jiménez, Jon and Román, Almudena de la Losa and Cerezal, Juan Carlos Santamarta and García-Gil, Alejandro},
  title = {A potentially transferable grid-based SWAT+ framework for groundwater recharge estimation informed by satellite-derived evapotranspiration in data-scarce volcanic islands},
  journal = {Environmental Modelling & Software},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107110},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107110}
}