Water storage changes as a marker for base flow generation processes in a tropical humid basement catchment (Benin): Insights from hybrid gravimetry

International audienceIn basement catchments of subhumid West Africa, base flow is the main component of annual streamflow. However, the important heterogeneity of lithology hinders the understanding of base flow generation processes. Since these processes are linked with water storage changes (WSCs) across the catchment, we propose the use of hybrid gravity data in addition to neutron probe-derived water content and water levels to monitor spatiotemporal WSC of a typical crystalline basement headwater catchment (16 ha) in Benin. WSC behaviors are shown to provide insights into hydrological processes in terms of water redistribution toward the catchment outlet. Hybrid gravimetry produces gravity change observations from time-lapse microgravity surveys coupled with gravity changes monitored at a base station using a supercon-ducting gravimeter and/or an absolute gravimeter. A dense microgravity campaign (70 surveys of 14 stations) covering three contrasted years was set up with a rigorous protocol, leading to low uncertainties (