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Coherent streamflow variability in Monsoon Asia over the past eight centuries---links to oceanic drivers
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  • Hung T.T Nguyen,
  • Sean W D Turner,
  • Brendan Martin Buckley,
  • Stefano Galelli
Hung T.T Nguyen
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design

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Sean W D Turner
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
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Brendan Martin Buckley
LDEO, LDEO, LDEO
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Stefano Galelli
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design
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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 multi-centennial 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.
Dec 2020Published in Water Resources Research volume 56 issue 12. 10.1029/2020WR027883