Changing climate shifts timing of European floods
Blöschl, G.; Hall, J.; Parajka, J.; Perdigão, R.A.P.; Merz, B.; Arheimer, B.; Aronica, G.T.; Bilibashi, A.; Bonacci, O.; Borga, M.; Canjevac, I.; Castellarin, A.; Chirico, G.B.; Claps, P.; Fiala, K.; Frolova, N.; Gorbachova, L.; Gül, A.; Hannaford, J.; Harrigan, S.; Kireeva, M.; Kiss, A.; Kjeldsen, T.R.; Kohnová, S. (2017). Changing climate shifts timing of European floods. Science (Wash.) 357(6351): 588-590. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aan2506
In: Science (Washington). American Association for the Advancement of Science: New York, N.Y. ISSN 0036-8075; e-ISSN 1095-9203, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Blöschl, G.
- Hall, J.
- Parajka, J.
- Perdigão, R.A.P.
- Merz, B.
- Arheimer, B.
- Aronica, G.T.
- Bilibashi, A.
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- Bonacci, O.
- Borga, M.
- Canjevac, I.
- Castellarin, A.
- Chirico, G.B.
- Claps, P.
- Fiala, K.
- Frolova, N.
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- Gorbachova, L.
- Gül, A.
- Hannaford, J.
- Harrigan, S.
- Kireeva, M.
- Kiss, A.
- Kjeldsen, T.R.
- Kohnová, S.
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| Abstract |
A warming climate is expected to have an impact on the magnitude and timing of river floods; however, no consistent large-scale climate change signal in observed flood magnitudes has been identified so far. We analyzed the timing of river floods in Europe over the past five decades, using a pan-European database from 4262 observational hydrometric stations, and found clear patterns of change in flood timing. Warmer temperatures have led to earlier spring snowmelt floods throughout northeastern Europe; delayed winter storms associated with polar warming have led to later winter floods around the North Sea and some sectors of the Mediterranean coast; and earlier soil moisture maxima have led to earlier winter floods in western Europe. Our results highlight the existence of a clear climate signal in flood observations at the continental scale. |
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