Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland
<p>Switzerland has faced extended periods of low river flows in recent years (2003, 2011, 2015 and 2018), with major economic and environmental consequences. Understanding the origins of events like these is important for water resources management. In this work, we provide data illustrating t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/24/5423/2020/hess-24-5423-2020.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828781608414478336 |
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| author | M. G. Floriancic M. G. Floriancic W. R. Berghuijs T. Jonas J. W. Kirchner J. W. Kirchner P. Molnar |
| author_facet | M. G. Floriancic M. G. Floriancic W. R. Berghuijs T. Jonas J. W. Kirchner J. W. Kirchner P. Molnar |
| author_sort | M. G. Floriancic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Switzerland has faced extended periods of low river flows in recent years (2003, 2011, 2015 and 2018), with major economic and environmental consequences. Understanding the origins of events like these is important for water resources management. In this work, we provide data illustrating the individual and joint contributions of precipitation and evapotranspiration to low flows in both typical and dry years. To quantify how weather drives low flows, we explore how deviations from mean seasonal climate conditions (i.e., climate anomalies) of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration correlate with the occurrence and magnitude of annual 7 d lowest flows (<span class="inline-formula"><i>Q</i><sub>min</sub></span>) during the warm season (May through November) across 380 Swiss catchments from 2000 through 2018. Most warm-season low flows followed periods of below-average precipitation and above-average potential evapotranspiration, and the lowest low flows resulted from both of these drivers acting together. Low-flow timing was spatially variable across Switzerland in all years, including the driest (2003, 2011, 2015 and 2018). Low flows in these driest years were associated with much longer-lasting climate anomalies than the <span class="inline-formula">≤2</span> month anomalies which preceded typical warm-season low flows in other years. We found that snow water equivalent and winter precipitation totals only slightly influenced the magnitude and timing of warm-season low flows in low-elevation catchments across Switzerland. Our results provide insight into how precipitation and potential evapotranspiration jointly shape warm-season low flows across Switzerland and potentially aid in assessing low-flow risks in similar mountain regions using seasonal weather forecasts.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:36:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6603e6db4ca4af2bea9a39ab3dc37cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:36:04Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6603e6db4ca4af2bea9a39ab3dc37cc2022-12-22T00:56:40ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382020-11-01245423543810.5194/hess-24-5423-2020Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in SwitzerlandM. G. Floriancic0M. G. Floriancic1W. R. Berghuijs2T. Jonas3J. W. Kirchner4J. W. Kirchner5P. Molnar6Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, 7260 Davos Dorf, SwitzerlandDepartment of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, SwitzerlandInstitute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland<p>Switzerland has faced extended periods of low river flows in recent years (2003, 2011, 2015 and 2018), with major economic and environmental consequences. Understanding the origins of events like these is important for water resources management. In this work, we provide data illustrating the individual and joint contributions of precipitation and evapotranspiration to low flows in both typical and dry years. To quantify how weather drives low flows, we explore how deviations from mean seasonal climate conditions (i.e., climate anomalies) of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration correlate with the occurrence and magnitude of annual 7 d lowest flows (<span class="inline-formula"><i>Q</i><sub>min</sub></span>) during the warm season (May through November) across 380 Swiss catchments from 2000 through 2018. Most warm-season low flows followed periods of below-average precipitation and above-average potential evapotranspiration, and the lowest low flows resulted from both of these drivers acting together. Low-flow timing was spatially variable across Switzerland in all years, including the driest (2003, 2011, 2015 and 2018). Low flows in these driest years were associated with much longer-lasting climate anomalies than the <span class="inline-formula">≤2</span> month anomalies which preceded typical warm-season low flows in other years. We found that snow water equivalent and winter precipitation totals only slightly influenced the magnitude and timing of warm-season low flows in low-elevation catchments across Switzerland. Our results provide insight into how precipitation and potential evapotranspiration jointly shape warm-season low flows across Switzerland and potentially aid in assessing low-flow risks in similar mountain regions using seasonal weather forecasts.</p>https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/24/5423/2020/hess-24-5423-2020.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. G. Floriancic M. G. Floriancic W. R. Berghuijs T. Jonas J. W. Kirchner J. W. Kirchner P. Molnar Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland |
| title_full | Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland |
| title_fullStr | Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland |
| title_short | Effects of climate anomalies on warm-season low flows in Switzerland |
| title_sort | effects of climate anomalies on warm season low flows in switzerland |
| url | https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/24/5423/2020/hess-24-5423-2020.pdf |
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