Articles | Volume 20, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4503-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4503-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Climate elasticity of streamflow revisited – an elasticity index based on long-term hydrometeorological records
Vazken Andréassian
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Irstea, Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit (HBAN),
Antony, France
Laurent Coron
Irstea, Hydrosystems and Bioprocesses Research Unit (HBAN),
Antony, France
now at: EDF-DTG, Toulouse, France
Julien Lerat
Bureau of Meteorology, Canberra, Australia
Nicolas Le Moine
Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619
Metis, Paris, France
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Cited
49 citations as recorded by crossref.
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- Temporal Scaling of Streamflow Elasticity to Precipitation: A Global Analysis Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030601
- Future global streamflow declines are probably more severe than previously estimated Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00030-7
- Assessing Catchment Resilience Using Entropy Associated with Mean Annual Runoff for the Upper Vaal Catchment in South Africa M. Ilunga https://doi.org/10.3390/e19050147
- Streamflow Elasticity to Precipitation Distribution and Potential Evapotranspiration Across South America A. Kolling Neto et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70386
- Multi-model climatic water balance prediction in the Zala River Basin (Hungary) based on a modified Budyko framework P. Csáki et al. https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2020-0016
- Potential links between the North Atlantic Oscillation and decreasing precipitation and runoff on a Mediterranean area N. Montaldo & A. Sarigu https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.08.018
- Streamflow sensitivity regimes of alpine catchments: seasonal relationships with elevation, temperature, and glacier cover M. Weiler et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ade26c
- Future climate or land use? Attribution of changes in surface runoff in a typical Sahelian landscape R. Yonaba et al. https://doi.org/10.5802/crgeos.179
- Quantifying streamflow response to climate variability, wastewater inflow, and sprawling urbanization in a heavily modified river basin U. Somorowska & M. Łaszewski https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.331
- Partitioning of Historical Precipitation Into Evaporation and Runoff Based on Hydrologic Dynamics Identified With Recent SMAP Satellite Measurements R. Akbar et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027307
- Trends and Climate Elasticity of Streamflow in South-Eastern Brazil Basins K. Deusdará-Leal et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14142245
- Runoff sensitivity of Indian sub-continental river basins S. Bharat & V. Mishra https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142642
- Changing Seasonal Rainfall Distribution With Climate Directs Contrasting Impacts at Evapotranspiration and Water Yield in the Western Mediterranean Region N. Montaldo & R. Oren https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000843
- Elasticity curves describe streamflow sensitivity to precipitation across the entire flow distribution B. Anderson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1567-2024
- Élasticité des débits aux précipitations en Afrique sub-saharienne P. Bourgin et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/lhb/2021005
- Climate elasticity assessment on groundwater recharge to the Edwards Balcones Fault Zone Aquifer, United States C. Yang & F. Bertetti https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.13142
- Examining controls on peak annual streamflow and floods in the Fraser River Basin of British Columbia C. Curry & F. Zwiers https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2285-2018
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- Losing water in temporary streams on a Mediterranean island: Effects of climate and land-cover changes C. Garcia et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.010
- Quantifying multi-year hydrological memory with Catchment Forgetting Curves A. de Lavenne et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2715-2022
- Streamflow elasticity as a function of aridity V. Andréassian et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1865-2026
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- Climate Elasticity of Annual Runoff: Observation in Fifteen Forested Catchments on a Latitudinal Gradient in East Asia N. Tanaka et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14040629
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- SSII-Evap: Simplified scheme to incorporate improved evapotranspiration estimates into the streamflow elasticity framework U. Somorowska https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2019.03.021
- Cross Mean Annual Runoff Pseudo-Elasticity of Entropy for Quaternary Catchments of the Upper Vaal Catchment in South Africa M. Ilunga https://doi.org/10.3390/e20040281
- Analysis of Hydrological Memory Characteristics in Taiwan’s Catchments T. Fang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16010019
- Streamflow elasticity, in a context of climate change, in arid Andean watersheds of north-central Chile C. Barrera et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2020.1770764
- Unwrapping the triptych of climatic, social and energy-market uncertainties in the operation of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs G. Sakki et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132416
- Reaction of Minimum Streamflow of Arid Kazakhstan Rivers to Climate Non-Stationarity M. Moldakhmetov et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology13020062
- Uncertainty, temporal variability, and influencing factors of empirical streamflow sensitivities S. Gnann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-779-2026
49 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Sensitivities of mean and extreme streamflow to climate variability across Europe A. Hemshorn de Sánchez et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2667-2026
- Time shift between precipitation and evaporation has more impact on annual streamflow variability than the elasticity of potential evaporation V. Andréassian et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-5477-2025
- Temporal Scaling of Streamflow Elasticity to Precipitation: A Global Analysis Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR030601
- Future global streamflow declines are probably more severe than previously estimated Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-023-00030-7
- Assessing Catchment Resilience Using Entropy Associated with Mean Annual Runoff for the Upper Vaal Catchment in South Africa M. Ilunga https://doi.org/10.3390/e19050147
- Streamflow Elasticity to Precipitation Distribution and Potential Evapotranspiration Across South America A. Kolling Neto et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70386
- Multi-model climatic water balance prediction in the Zala River Basin (Hungary) based on a modified Budyko framework P. Csáki et al. https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2020-0016
- Potential links between the North Atlantic Oscillation and decreasing precipitation and runoff on a Mediterranean area N. Montaldo & A. Sarigu https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.08.018
- Streamflow sensitivity regimes of alpine catchments: seasonal relationships with elevation, temperature, and glacier cover M. Weiler et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ade26c
- Future climate or land use? Attribution of changes in surface runoff in a typical Sahelian landscape R. Yonaba et al. https://doi.org/10.5802/crgeos.179
- Quantifying streamflow response to climate variability, wastewater inflow, and sprawling urbanization in a heavily modified river basin U. Somorowska & M. Łaszewski https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.331
- Partitioning of Historical Precipitation Into Evaporation and Runoff Based on Hydrologic Dynamics Identified With Recent SMAP Satellite Measurements R. Akbar et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027307
- Trends and Climate Elasticity of Streamflow in South-Eastern Brazil Basins K. Deusdará-Leal et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14142245
- Runoff sensitivity of Indian sub-continental river basins S. Bharat & V. Mishra https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142642
- Changing Seasonal Rainfall Distribution With Climate Directs Contrasting Impacts at Evapotranspiration and Water Yield in the Western Mediterranean Region N. Montaldo & R. Oren https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000843
- Elasticity curves describe streamflow sensitivity to precipitation across the entire flow distribution B. Anderson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1567-2024
- Élasticité des débits aux précipitations en Afrique sub-saharienne P. Bourgin et al. https://doi.org/10.1051/lhb/2021005
- Climate elasticity assessment on groundwater recharge to the Edwards Balcones Fault Zone Aquifer, United States C. Yang & F. Bertetti https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.13142
- Examining controls on peak annual streamflow and floods in the Fraser River Basin of British Columbia C. Curry & F. Zwiers https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2285-2018
- Control of climate and physiography on runoff response behavior through use of catchment classification and machine learning S. Du et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166422
- Terrestrial Evaporation and Moisture Drainage in a Warmer Climate D. Short Gianotti et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086498
- Is Climate or Direct Human Influence Responsible for Discharge Decrease in the Tunisian Merguellil Basin? K. Khemiri et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13192748
- Large‐Scale Controls of the Surface Water Balance Over Land: Insights From a Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis R. Padrón et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR021215
- What control the spatial patterns and predictions of runoff response over the contiguous USA? S. Jiang et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-024-2249-4
- Peut-on estimer l’effet du changement climatique sur l’écoulement à l’exutoire d’un bassin sans modèle pluie-débit ? un test de la méthode de transfert climat-écoulement par régression dans le bassin transnational de la meuse B. Grelier et al. https://doi.org/10.4267/climatologie.1232
- A Ranking of Hydrological Signatures Based on Their Predictability in Space N. Addor et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022606
- Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Snowfall Conditions in Poland Based on the Snow Fraction Sensitivity Index U. Somorowska https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13050060
- Climate Sensitivity of Phosphorus Loadings to an Urban Stream K. Munson et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12621
- Development of Threshold Levels and a Climate-Sensitivity Model of the Hydrological Regime of the High-Altitude Catchment of the Western Himalayas, Pakistan M. Saifullah et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071454
- Climate-Streamflow Relationship and Consequences of Its Instability in Large Rivers of Pakistan: An Elasticity Perspective Z. Khan et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14132033
- Climate elasticity of evapotranspiration shifts the water balance of Mediterranean climates during multi-year droughts F. Avanzi et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4317-2020
- Runoff and Evapotranspiration Elasticities in the Western United States: Are They Consistent With Dooge's Complementary Relationship? M. Xiao et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026719
- From threat to opportunity: Hydrologic uncertainty regionalization across large domains S. Pokorny et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.101819
- Losing water in temporary streams on a Mediterranean island: Effects of climate and land-cover changes C. Garcia et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.010
- Quantifying multi-year hydrological memory with Catchment Forgetting Curves A. de Lavenne et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2715-2022
- Streamflow elasticity as a function of aridity V. Andréassian et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1865-2026
- The potential to reduce uncertainty in regional runoff projections from climate models F. Lehner et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0639-x
- Rainfall elasticity functions explain divergent runoff sensitivity to rainfall errors in hydrological models E. Dallan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.132746
- Climate Elasticity of Annual Runoff: Observation in Fifteen Forested Catchments on a Latitudinal Gradient in East Asia N. Tanaka et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14040629
- Groundwater Sensitivity to Climate Variations Across Australia X. Fan et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035036
- A 60-year analysis of past hydroclimatic variability and trends in the Mouhoun river catchment in West Africa T. Fowé et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06549-x
- Hydrologic Sensitivities and ENSO Variability Across Hydrological Regimes in Central Chile (28°–41°S) D. Hernandez et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR031860
- SSII-Evap: Simplified scheme to incorporate improved evapotranspiration estimates into the streamflow elasticity framework U. Somorowska https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2019.03.021
- Cross Mean Annual Runoff Pseudo-Elasticity of Entropy for Quaternary Catchments of the Upper Vaal Catchment in South Africa M. Ilunga https://doi.org/10.3390/e20040281
- Analysis of Hydrological Memory Characteristics in Taiwan’s Catchments T. Fang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16010019
- Streamflow elasticity, in a context of climate change, in arid Andean watersheds of north-central Chile C. Barrera et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2020.1770764
- Unwrapping the triptych of climatic, social and energy-market uncertainties in the operation of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs G. Sakki et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132416
- Reaction of Minimum Streamflow of Arid Kazakhstan Rivers to Climate Non-Stationarity M. Moldakhmetov et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology13020062
- Uncertainty, temporal variability, and influencing factors of empirical streamflow sensitivities S. Gnann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-779-2026
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 06 Jun 2026
Short summary
We present a new method to derive the empirical (i.e., data-based) elasticity of streamflow to precipitation and potential evaporation. This method, which uses long-term hydrometeorological records, is tested on a set of 519 French catchments. We compare our method with the classical approach found in the literature and demonstrate its robustness and efficiency. Empirical elasticity is a powerful tool to test the extrapolation capacity of hydrological models.
We present a new method to derive the empirical (i.e., data-based) elasticity of streamflow to...