New web application GRUVO - Groundwater levels and forecasts for Germany

The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) has developed the web-based application GRUVO in cooperation with the State Geological Surveys and the environmental and water management authorities of the federal states. This application was made available to the public in mid-April.

Web application GRUVO - Groundwater levels and forecasts for Germany Source: BGR

For the first time, a machine-learning based method makes it possible to provide a standardised and regularly updated presentation of past, present and future groundwater levels throughout Germany. Forecast periods range from short-term (up to 3 months) to medium-term (10 years) and long-term (up to 2100). In addition to groundwater data from the monitoring networks of the relevant state authorities, the information base also includes weather and climate forecasts and climate projections from the German Weather Service (DWD).

The main features of the application at a glance:

• Presentation of current groundwater levels in five status classes (from very low to very high), based on the reference period 1991-2020
• Monthly overview of groundwater levels at national, major hydrogeological district and hydrogeological region level
• Predicted groundwater levels for the next three months, ten years and up to 2100
• Visualisation of model and prediction quality

Further development of the application is planned. The number of reference and cluster monitoring sites will be increased, the quality of forecasts will be continuously improved, groundwater information will be transferred from the monitoring site to the surface and the forecast will be extended to include spring discharges.

The application is available at https://gruvo.bgr.de.