The CR2SUB database compiles groundwater level (GWL) observations from 1,137 wells maintained by the Water Bureau of Chile (Dirección General de Aguas, DGA), downloaded from DGA hydrometeorological data portal, and processed into a homogenized monthly database for the period 1957-2025. The database also includes metadata for each observation well and a range of topographical and hydroclimatic attributes computed from ancillary information.
This repository is structured in three main folders, explained in detail below:
- cr2sub: csv files with GWL time series and well attributes.
- input: data used for processing the database.
- scripts: scripts used to process the database.
Data and scripts are openly provided to ensure reproducibility of results. The workflow enables users to update the CR2SUB database whenever new DGA records are downloaded.
Developer: The CR2SUB database has been consolidated within the framework of the Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2, ANID/FONDAP/1523A0002) and is part of the research project ANID/FONDECYT/11240924. Responsible: Camila Alvarez-Garreton. Collaborators: Rodrigo Marinao Rivas, Juan P. Boisier, Diego Dinamarca.
License: This dataset is distributed under CC BY 4.0 license.
Citation: Alvarez-Garreton, C., Marinao, R., Boisier, J. P., & Dinamarca, D. (2025). CR2SUB: monthly groundwater level database for Chile (v1.1) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17591525
cr2sub_v1.1_gwl_mon.csv
Consolidated monthly time series of raw groundwater level (GWL) observations. Raw GWL observations were downloaded as .xls spreadsheets from the DGA website, stored in input and processed through the codes provided in scripts. When more than one record was available for a given month, the values were averaged to obtain a single monthly estimate.
cr2sub_v1.1_gwl_mon_clean.csv
Monthly time series after applying an outlier-removal procedure. The code for outlier detection and removal is available in scripts.
cr2sub_v1.1_attributes.csv
Metadata of the observation wells extracted from the .xls files downloaded from DGA website (input), and climatic, topographical and soil attributes computed from on ancillary information (available in input):
- cr2sub_id: unique observation well identifier in cr2sub database. The cr2sub_id is the same as the DGA well code, without the identification last digit.
- dga_well_code: unique observation well identifier in DGA database, as reported in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_name: observation well name in DGA database, as reported in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_basin: basin in which the well is located, as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_subbasin: sub-basin in which the well is located, as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_lat: latitude of the well (degrees, minutes, seconds), as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_lon: longitude of the well (degrees, minutes, seconds), as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_utm_north: latitude of the well (m, zone not specified), as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_utm_east: longitude of the well (m, zone not specified), as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- dga_well_elev: elevation of the well (m a.s.l.), as reported by DGA in the .xls downloaded file.
- cr2sub_lat: latitude of the well (degrees). The original DGA coordinate was corrected in some cases.
- cr2sub_lon: longitude of the well (degrees). The original DGA coordinate was corrected in some cases.
- cr2sub_utm_north_h19: latitude of the well (m, zone 19S). The original DGA coordinate was corrected in some cases.
- cr2sub_utm_east_h19: longitude of the well (m, zone 19S). The original DGA coordinate was corrected in some cases.
- cr2sub_elev: elevation of the well location (cr2sub_lat, cr2sub_lon) in m a.s.l., computed from FABDEM (Forest And Buildings removed copernicus Digital Elevation Model), available from University of Bristol repository, resampled at 300-m.
- cr2sub_slp: slope of the well location (cr2sub_lat, cr2sub_lon) in degree, computed from FABDEM resampled at 300-m.
- cr2sub_mean_gwl: mean depth of GWL (m), computed for all available records in cr2sub_v1.1_gwl_mon.csv.
- cr2sub_sd_gwl: standard deviation of GWL (m), computed for all available records in cr2sub_v1.1_gwl_mon.csv.
- cr2sub_cv_gwl: coefficient of variation of GWL (-), computed as cr2sub_sd_gwl/abs(cr2sub_mean_gwl).
- cr2sub_mean_gwl_clean: mean depth of GWL without outliers (m), computed for all available data in cr2sub_v1.1_gwl_mon_clean.csv.
- cr2sub_sd_gwl_clean: standard deviation of GWL without outliers (m), computed for all available data in cr2sub_v1.1_gwl_mon_clean.csv.
- cr2sub_cv_gwl_clean: coefficient of variation of GWL without outliers (-), computed as cr2sub_sd_gwl_clean/abs(cr2sub_mean_gwl_clean).
- cr2sub_in_basin_camels: gauge_id from the smallest CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located. The basin was identified by intersecting the well location (cr2sub_lat, cr2sub_lon) with CAMELS-CL v2021 polygons and stored as a lookup table in input.
- cr2sub_camels_elev: mean elevation (m a.s.l.) of the CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located, computed based on FABDEM resampled at 300-m.
- cr2sub_camels_slp: mean slope (degree) of the CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located, computed based on FABDEM resampled at 300-m.
- cr2sub_camels_pr_yr: mean annual precipitation (mm) of the CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located, computed based on CR2MET v2.5 for 1980-2010. CR2MET v2.5 daily data were downloaded from https://ftp.cr2.cl/browse/cr2met/v2.5 and processed into annual values (input).
- cr2sub_camels_pet_yr: mean annual potential evapotranspiration (mm) of the CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located, computed based on CR2MET v2.5 for 1980-2010.
- cr2sub_camels_aridity: aridity index of the CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located, computed as cr2sub_camels_pet_yr/cr2sub_camels_pr_yr.
- cr2sub_camels_sf: snow fraction (-) of the CAMELS-CL basin where the well is located, computed as the ratio of mean annual snowfall (mm) to mean annual precipitation (mm) for 1980-2010, based on CR2MET v2.5 data.
- cr2sub_in_basin_bna: id from the smallest BNA basin where the well is located. The basin was identified by intersecting the well location (cr2sub_lat, cr2sub_lon) with BNA polygons downloaded from DGA spatial data repository and stored as a lookup table in input.
- cr2sub_bna_elev: mean elevation (m a.s.l.) of the BNA basin where the well is located, computed based on FABDEM resampled at 300-m.
- cr2sub_bna_slp: mean slope (degree) of the BNA basin where the well is located, computed based on FABDEM resampled at 300-m.
- cr2sub_bna_pr_yr: mean annual precipitation (mm) of the BNA basin where the well is located, computed based on CR2MET v2.5 for 1980-2010
- cr2sub_bna_pet_yr: mean annual potential evapotranspiration (mm) of the BNA basin where the well is located, computed based CR2MET v2.5 for 1980-2010
- cr2sub_bna_aridity: aridity index of the BNA basin where the well is located, computed as cr2sub_bna_pet_yr/cr2sub_bna_pr_yr
- cr2sub_bna_sf: snow fraction (-) of the BNA basin where the well is located, computed as the ratio of mean annual snowfall (mm) to mean annual precipitation (mm) for 1980-2010, based on CR2MET v2.5 data.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_awc_0_100cm: available water content (mm) in soil horizon 0-100 cm at well location (cr2sub_lat, cr2sub_lon), computed from CLSoilMaps database, and stored in input.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_awc_100_200cm: available water content (mm) in soil horizon 100-200 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_ksat_0_100cm: hydraulic conductivity (cm/day) in soil horizon 0-100 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_ksat_100_200cm: hydraulic conductivity (cm/day) in soil horizon 100-200 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_bulkd_0_100cm: bulk density (g/cm³) in soil horizon 0-100 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_bulkd_100_200cm: bulk density (g/cm³) in soil horizon 100-200 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_clay_0_100cm: clay content (%) in soil horizon 0-100 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_clay_100_200cm: clay content (%) in soil horizon 100-200 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_sand_0_100cm: sand content (%) in soil horizon 0-100 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
- cr2sub_clsoilmap_sand_100_200cm: sand content (%) in soil horizon 100-200 cm at well location, computed from CLSoilMaps.
BNA_basin_polygons: shapefile with BNA basins boundaries downloaded from DGA spatial data repository.
camels_cl_basins: shapefile with CAMELS-CL v2021 basins boundaries downloaded from CAMELS-CL platform.
CLSoilMaps: soil data computed from CLSoilMaps database.
cr2met: precipitation, potential evapotranspiration and snowfall data v2.5 downloaded from https://ftp.cr2.cl/browse/cr2met/v2.5 and processed into monthly values.
dem: elevation and slope data obtained from FABDEM (Forest And Buildings removed copernicus Digital Elevation Model), available from University of Bristol repository, resampled at 300-m.
DGA_GWL_observations: raw GWL observations downloaded as .xls spreadsheets from the DGA website.
- dga_xls_1950-01-01_2025-03-31: a bulk download of GWL observations spreadsheets including the initial period of GWL records (1957–04-01) until 2025-03-31. These spreadsheets were downloaded manually for all available observation wells in Chile.
- dga_xls_update_2025-06-10 and dga_xls_update_2025-08-05: additional downloads made on 2025-06-10 amd 2025-08-05, respectively, that serve to illustrate how new updates can be processed and merged into the initial bulk downloaded data.
other_data:
- Chile_boundary_simplified_from_SIIT: shapefile with national boundaries downloaded from https://www.bcn.cl/siit/mapas_vectoriales.
- cr2sub_v1.1_join_table_with_bna_basins: lookup table with the codes of the BNA basin(s) in which the CR2SUB observation wells are located.
- cr2sub_v1.1_join_table_with_camels_cl_v2021_basins: lookup table with the codes of the CAMELS-CL v2021 basin(s) in which the CR2SUB observation wells are located.
This folder contains the scripts used to process the database. These can be run by users to update CR2SUB if new data from DGA is downloaded. To run the scripts 01, 02 and 03 sequentially, run the main pipeline in the terminal:
python3 scripts/main_pipeline.py