Articles | Volume 24, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-849-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-849-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Beyond binary baseflow separation: a delayed-flow index for multiple streamflow contributions
Michael Stoelzle
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Invited contribution by Michael Stoelzle, recipient of the EGU Outstanding Student Poster Awards 2015.
Tobias Schuetz
Department of Hydrology, Faculty VI Regional and Environmental
Sciences, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
Markus Weiler
Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Kerstin Stahl
Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Lena M. Tallaksen
Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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- Understanding the inter-event variability of recession flow characteristics and its drivers O. Rashid & T. Apurv https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133033
- Hydrograph separation for tackling equifinality in conceptual hydrological models J. Casado-Rodríguez & M. del Jesus https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127816
- Long-Term Baseflow Responses to Projected Climate Change in the Weihe River Basin, Loess Plateau, China J. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14205097
- Geologic Controls on Source Water Drive Baseflow Generation and Carbon Geochemistry: Evidence of Nonstationary Baseflow Sources Across Multiple Subwatersheds C. Richardson et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026577
- Forest cover lessens hurricane impacts on peak streamflow J. Hall et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15249
- From fracture-led to matrix-dominant: quantifying the impact of geomorphological evolution on runoff component shifts in the Loess Plateau W. Tong et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2026.1823520
- Impacts of Watershed Physical Properties and Land Use on Baseflow at Regional Scales M. Aboelnour et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100810
- Flow duration curve prediction: A framework integrating regionalization and copula model T. Lan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132364
- Impacts of parameter uncertainty on baseflow separation by a two‐parameter recursive digital filter S. He et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14512
- Developing a pan-European high-resolution groundwater recharge map – Combining satellite data and national survey data using machine learning G. Martinsen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153464
- Efficiency of recursive digital filters for estimating baseflow: evaluation based on a mixed land use watershed A. Haghizadeh et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-025-01952-4
- Baseflow estimation based on a self-adaptive non-linear reservoir algorithm in a rainy watershed of eastern China S. He et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117379
- Scale-dependent hydrological controls on storm runoff volume and its turbidity in nested catchments of the Eastern Italian Alps K. Koyanagi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103569
- A categorical quantification of the effects of vegetation restorations on streamflow variations in the Loess Plateau, China C. Yao et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130577
- When good signatures go bad: Applying hydrologic signatures in large sample studies H. McMillan et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14987
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- Simulating hydrologic pathway contributions in fluvial and karst settings: An evaluation of conceptual, physically-based, and deep learning modeling approaches A. Husic et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2022.100134
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- Assessing the long-term hydrologic responses of river catchments in Taiwan using a multiple-component hydrograph approach H. Yeh & H. Chen https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127916
- Simultaneous Separation of Runoff Pathways and Storage Times via Coupled Electrical Conductivity Mass Balance and Nonlinear Storage‐Discharge Relationship: Theory and Application Testing W. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR039052
- Temporal changes and flow pattern analysis using Colwell indices in mountainous rivers R. Mostafazadeh et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03033-2
- Understanding the hydrological response of a headwater-dominated catchment by analysis of distributed surface–subsurface interactions I. Özgen-Xian et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31925-w
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- Finding process-behavioural parameterisations of a hydrological model using a multi-step process-based calibration and evaluation scheme M. Heuer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3503-2025
- Groundwater levels, climate and anthropogenic factors affect the hydrology and water quality of an intermittent and a regulated subtropical stream D. Kim et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15074
- Classification of Floods in Europe and North America with Focus on Compound Events S. Brazda et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11120580
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- Delayed contributions revealing runoff dynamics and spatial heterogeneity in the Chinese Loess Plateau Z. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133674
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- Sensitivity of river flow regime to snow water storage variability across mid˗latitude region in Eastern Europe U. Somorowska https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180160
- The provenance and persistence of the perennial Río Loa in the Atacama Desert: links between crustal processes and surface hydrology J. Houston https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1310088
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- Implications of variations in stream specific conductivity for estimating baseflow using chemical mass balance and calibrated hydrograph techniques I. Cartwright https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-183-2022
- Impact of the model structure and calibration strategy on baseflow modeling in the German low mountain range M. Kissel et al. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2024.077
- Towards a conceptualization of the hydrological processes behind changes of young water fraction with elevation: a focus on mountainous alpine catchments A. Gentile et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2301-2023
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- Simple Catchments and Where to Find Them: The Storage-Discharge Relationship as a Proxy for Catchment Complexity F. Jehn et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2021.631651
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- Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Slow-Flow Responses in Glaciated and Nonglaciated Catchments S. Kumar et al. https://doi.org/10.1061/JHYEFF.HEENG-6547
- Baseflow index estimation using digital and minima methods in the Büyük Menderes Basin M. Güngör & A. Ozkaya https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-025-01304-6
- Baseflow and transmission loss: A review T. McMahon & R. Nathan https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1527
- Hydrological response to warm and dry weather: do glaciers compensate? M. Van Tiel et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3245-2021
- Groundwater and baseflow drought responses to synthetic recharge stress tests J. Hellwig et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1053-2021
- A novel method for cold-region streamflow hydrograph separation using GRACE satellite observations S. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2649-2021
- Cryosphere–groundwater connectivity is a missing link in the mountain water cycle M. van Tiel et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00277-8
- Increasing volatility of reconstructed Morava River warm-season flow, Czech Republic M. Torbenson et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2023.101534
- Symbolic regression-based regionalization of baseflow separation parameter using catchment-scale characteristics Y. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3425-2026
- Melting Alpine Water Towers Aggravate Downstream Low Flows: A Stress‐Test Storyline Approach M. van Tiel et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003408
- RECHARGE, a model of potential recharge of aquifers applied to mainland France O. Robelin et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134631
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 09 Jun 2026
Short summary
During dry weather, different delayed sources of runoff (e.g. from groundwater, wetlands or snowmelt) modulate the magnitude and variability of streamflow. Hydrograph separation methods often do not distinguish these delayed contributions and mostly pool them into only two components (i.e. quickflow and baseflow). We propose a method that uncovers multiple components and demonstrates how they better reflect streamflow generation processes of different flow regimes.
During dry weather, different delayed sources of runoff (e.g. from groundwater, wetlands or...