Global runoff fluctuations during the last 80 years in relation to world temperature change

Abstract

Long period discharge fluctuations for 50 major rivers of the world were examined in a recent study (Probst and Tardy, 1987) to determine time lags, phase oppositions, or synchronisms in streamflow fluctuations on different continents and to reconstruct global, continental runoff fluctuations for the last 80 yrs. Through this analysis, it was demonstrated that runoff fluctuations are related to the general atmospheric circulation:eastward and northward shifts in hydroclimatic fluctuations across different continents can be correlated with both zonal and meridional propagation of a two dimensional presure anomaly pattern. The global relationship between runoff and temperature has also been investigated for different space and time scales. Results show that fluctuations in global continental runoff (R) and the global surface air temperature anomalies had positive trends during the last 80 yrs (t = 1900 to 1980).