Application of CORS for monitoring groundwater levels

Abstract

Groundwater is a vital resource used in agriculture and industry, requiring proper management. Over-extraction of groundwater can lead to land subsidence, affecting infrastructure. This research explores the application of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) to utilize satellite data for future groundwater management. Vertical coordinates of CORS stations were processed using the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method with Bernese 5.4 software, on a daily basis within the ITRF2020 reference frame for SPBR, AYYA, KTBN, and PKKT stations. The data were analyzed to examine the Pearson correlation with groundwater levels from nearby observation wells (GWA65, GWA9, 6008A016, PD63). The results showed subsidence rates of 3-7 mm per year at the CORS stations, while groundwater levels varied by +1.64 m, -0.03 m, +0.95 m, and +0.15 m per year at the wells. The correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.08 to 0.38, indicating a low relationship between vertical coordinates and groundwater levels. This suggests that CORS vertical coordinates cannot directly serve as indicators for managing groundwater resources.