Dataset on the global distribution of shallow groundwater.

Shallow groundwater (GW), defined as the water table of unconfined or perched aquifers that is near enough to the land surface to influence the vadose zone and the surface soil moisture, impacts land surface water, energy, and carbon cycles by providing additional moisture to the root zone via capillary fluxes. Although the interactions of shallow GW and the terrestrial land surface are widely recognized, incorporating shallow GW into the land surface, climate, and agroecosystem models is not yet possible due to the lack of groundwater data. Groundwater systems are affected by various factors, including climate, land use/land cover, ecosystems, GW extractions, and lithology.