Coherent Streamflow Variability in Monsoon Asia Over the Past Eight Centuries—Links to Oceanic Drivers

Hung T.T. Nguyen, Sean W.D. Turner, Brendan M. Buckley, Stefano Galelli

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Monsoon Asia region is home to ten of the world's biggest rivers, supporting the lives of 1.7 billion people who rely on streamflow for water, energy, and food. Yet a synthesized understanding of multicentennial streamflow variability for this region is lacking. To fill this gap, we produce the first large scale streamflow reconstruction over Monsoon Asia (62 stations in 16 countries, 813 years of mean annual flow). In making this reconstruction, we develop a novel, automated, climate-informed, and dynamic reconstruction framework that is skillful over most of the region. We show that streamflow in Monsoon Asia is spatially coherent, owing to common drivers from the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. We also show how these oceanic teleconnections change over space and time. By characterizing past and present hydroclimatic variability, we provide a platform for assessing the impact of future climatic changes and informing water management decisions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere2020WR027883
JournalWater Resources Research
Volume56
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • climate variability
  • large sample hydrology
  • Monsoon Asia
  • rivers
  • streamflow reconstruction
  • teleconnection

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Water Science and Technology

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