Intensifying tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea replenish depleting aquifers

Hassan Saleh, Mohamed Sultan, Eugene Yan, Himanshu Save, Hesham Elhaddad, Hadi Karimi, Karem Abdelmohsen, Mustafa K. Emil, Sara Al Qamshouai

Communications Earth & Environment · 2025

Abstract

Tropical cyclones intensified globally in recent decades, delivering extreme precipitation deeper inland. While much research has focused on the role of climate change in tropical cyclone intensification, less is known about their contribution to groundwater recharge, especially in arid regions where freshwater is scarce and aquifers are being depleted. Here we quantify cyclone-driven groundwater recharge across the Arabian Peninsula from 2002 to 2021 using satellite-based total water storage and hydrodynamic modeling. Findings show that cyclones contributed up to 60% of total precipitation in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Cyclone Mekunu (2018) alone delivered 30 km 3 of precipitation inland, resulting in a net groundwater recharge of 3.2 ± 1.2 km 3 in the Najd subbasin. These findings reveal that tropical cyclones play a crucial role in replenishing groundwater resources in arid regions. Our approach provides a framework for quantifying recharge in ungauged arid basins worldwide, offering valuable insights for climate-resilient water resource management.

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How to cite

Saleh, H., Sultan, M., Yan, E., Save, H., Elhaddad, H., Karimi, H., Abdelmohsen, K., Emil, M. K., & Qamshouai, S. A. (2025). Intensifying tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea replenish depleting aquifers. Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02493-w