Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow
An understanding of multi-annual behaviour in streamflow allows for better estimation of the risks associated with hydrological extremes. This can enable improved preparedness for streamflow-dependant services, such as freshwater ecology, drinking water supply and agriculture. Recently, efforts have...
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2021
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 https://doaj.org/article/2644f0bdd8bc4a5a87bcb8a95d3a0cf5 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:2644f0bdd8bc4a5a87bcb8a95d3a0cf5 2023-05-15T17:32:03+02:00 Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow W. Rust M. Cuthbert J. Bloomfield R. Corstanje N. Howden I. Holman 2021-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 https://doaj.org/article/2644f0bdd8bc4a5a87bcb8a95d3a0cf5 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/25/2223/2021/hess-25-2223-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1027-5606 https://doaj.org/toc/1607-7938 doi:10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 1027-5606 1607-7938 https://doaj.org/article/2644f0bdd8bc4a5a87bcb8a95d3a0cf5 Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol 25, Pp 2223-2237 (2021) Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 2022-12-31T06:52:04Z An understanding of multi-annual behaviour in streamflow allows for better estimation of the risks associated with hydrological extremes. This can enable improved preparedness for streamflow-dependant services, such as freshwater ecology, drinking water supply and agriculture. Recently, efforts have focused on detecting relationships between long-term hydrological behaviour and oscillatory climate systems (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation – NAO). For instance, the approximate 7 year periodicity of the NAO has been detected in groundwater-level records in the North Atlantic region, providing potential improvements to the preparedness for future water resource extremes due to their repetitive, periodic nature. However, the extent to which these 7-year, NAO-like signals are propagated to streamflow, and the catchment processes that modulate this propagation, are currently unknown. Here, we show statistically significant evidence that these 7-year periodicities are present in streamflow (and associated catchment rainfall), by applying multi-resolution analysis to a large data set of streamflow and associated catchment rainfall across the UK. Our results provide new evidence for spatial patterns of NAO periodicities in UK rainfall, with areas of greatest NAO signal found in southwest England, south Wales, Northern Ireland and central Scotland, and show that NAO-like periodicities account for a greater proportion of streamflow variability in these areas. Furthermore, we find that catchments with greater subsurface pathway contribution, as characterised by the baseflow index (BFI), generally show increased NAO-like signal strength and that subsurface response times (as characterised by groundwater response time – GRT), of between 4 and 8 years, show a greater signal presence. Our results provide a foundation of understanding for the screening and use of streamflow teleconnections for improving the practice and policy of long-term streamflow resource management. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 25 4 2223 2237 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
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Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 W. Rust M. Cuthbert J. Bloomfield R. Corstanje N. Howden I. Holman Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow |
topic_facet |
Technology T Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering TD1-1066 Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Environmental sciences GE1-350 |
description |
An understanding of multi-annual behaviour in streamflow allows for better estimation of the risks associated with hydrological extremes. This can enable improved preparedness for streamflow-dependant services, such as freshwater ecology, drinking water supply and agriculture. Recently, efforts have focused on detecting relationships between long-term hydrological behaviour and oscillatory climate systems (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation – NAO). For instance, the approximate 7 year periodicity of the NAO has been detected in groundwater-level records in the North Atlantic region, providing potential improvements to the preparedness for future water resource extremes due to their repetitive, periodic nature. However, the extent to which these 7-year, NAO-like signals are propagated to streamflow, and the catchment processes that modulate this propagation, are currently unknown. Here, we show statistically significant evidence that these 7-year periodicities are present in streamflow (and associated catchment rainfall), by applying multi-resolution analysis to a large data set of streamflow and associated catchment rainfall across the UK. Our results provide new evidence for spatial patterns of NAO periodicities in UK rainfall, with areas of greatest NAO signal found in southwest England, south Wales, Northern Ireland and central Scotland, and show that NAO-like periodicities account for a greater proportion of streamflow variability in these areas. Furthermore, we find that catchments with greater subsurface pathway contribution, as characterised by the baseflow index (BFI), generally show increased NAO-like signal strength and that subsurface response times (as characterised by groundwater response time – GRT), of between 4 and 8 years, show a greater signal presence. Our results provide a foundation of understanding for the screening and use of streamflow teleconnections for improving the practice and policy of long-term streamflow resource management. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
W. Rust M. Cuthbert J. Bloomfield R. Corstanje N. Howden I. Holman |
author_facet |
W. Rust M. Cuthbert J. Bloomfield R. Corstanje N. Howden I. Holman |
author_sort |
W. Rust |
title |
Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow |
title_short |
Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow |
title_full |
Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow |
title_fullStr |
Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow |
title_sort |
exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from uk rainfall to streamflow |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 https://doaj.org/article/2644f0bdd8bc4a5a87bcb8a95d3a0cf5 |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic oscillation |
op_source |
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol 25, Pp 2223-2237 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/25/2223/2021/hess-25-2223-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1027-5606 https://doaj.org/toc/1607-7938 doi:10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 1027-5606 1607-7938 https://doaj.org/article/2644f0bdd8bc4a5a87bcb8a95d3a0cf5 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2223-2021 |
container_title |
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
container_volume |
25 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
2223 |
op_container_end_page |
2237 |
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1766129984619937792 |