Temporal hydrological drought clustering varies with climate and land-surface processes
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Open access
Date
2023-03Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
Recurrent hydrological droughts (streamflow deficits) are highly impactful and challenge water management. Regional studies have provided some evidence of drought-rich periods at specific time scales. However, it is yet unclear where and when droughts cluster in time. Here, we test for significant temporal hydrological drought clustering at subseasonal to multi-year time scales in different climate zones around the world using two different clustering metrics, i.e. the dispersion index and Ripley’s K. We find that (1) only 10% of the catchments show temporal hydrological drought clustering, (2) hydrological droughts cluster from seasonal to 3-year time scales with clustering being strongest at an annual time scale; (3) arid catchments with a low snow fraction are most prone to temporal drought clustering; and (4) temporal clustering is more pronounced for hydrological than for meteorological droughts. These results suggest that besides climatic drivers, land-surface processes importantly influence the temporal clustering behavior of hydrological droughts. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000601521Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Environmental Research LettersVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
IOP PublishingSubject
streamflow drought; hydrological drought; temporal clustering; successive droughts; large-sample datasets; multi-year droughtsOrganisational unit
09788 - Brunner, Manuela Irene / Brunner, Manuela Irene
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