Articles | Volume 26, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1845-2022
© Author(s) 2022. 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-26-1845-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Apr 2022
Research article |
| 12 Apr 2022
| 12 Apr 2022
Critical transitions in the hydrological system: early-warning signals and network analysis
Xueli Yang
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
Chenghao Wang
Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Cited
21 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Characterizing causal urban climate networks of major cities in China Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2026.107636
- Hydroclimatic Whiplash Across the Contiguous United States: Characterizing Wet–Dry Transitions in PDSI and PHDI J. Lam & T. Piechota https://doi.org/10.3390/w18131599
- Early warning signals for critical transitions in complex systems S. George et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/acde20
- Causal mediation of urban temperature by geopotential height in U.S. cities Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.105010
- Action functional as an early warning indicator in the space of probability measures via Schrödinger bridge P. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qub2.86
- Regime Shifts due to Multi-dimensional Flood Drivers in Urban Socio-environmental Systems in Northeast India J. Jain et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-026-01255-8
- A Review of the Research Status of Teleconnection 娜. 王 https://doi.org/10.12677/GSER.2023.123038
- Causal network and dynamic synchronization of urban thermal environment C. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2025.0041
- Early warning and prediction of water resources carrying capacity based on a System Dynamics Modeling Approach in the Shule River Basin, Northwest China H. Guo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2025.100991
- Megacities are causal pacemakers of extreme heatwaves X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-024-00148-x
- Teleconnection driven drought to flood sequences and spatially compound events in urban water systems for resilient cities K. Haddad https://doi.org/10.1007/s44327-026-00333-w
- A combustion oscillation classification method based on multi-feature extraction S. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0256248
- Spatial strain correlations reveal irreversible deformation under increasing pressure cycles of a granular packing S. Kundu & Y. Edery https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2026.100872
- Detecting the causal influence of thermal environments among climate regions in the United States X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116001
- Building resilient urban water systems: emerging opportunities for solving long-lasting challenges B. Nlend et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2025.2529267
- Geospatial and temporal assessment of Belai Beel: a seasonally flooded freshwater wetland in Bangladesh with special reference to its socio-ecological condition M. Islam et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-025-00470-w
- Finding Causal Gateways of Precipitation Over the Contiguous United States X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101942
- Modeling urban land surface dynamics using Arizona single-layer urban canopy model in Python (ASLUM-Py) N. Rahmatollahi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126840
- Comparative analysis of machine learning approaches for heatwave event prediction in India R. V et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04634-9
- Prioritizing environmental determinants of urban heat islands: A machine learning study for major cities in China H. Hou et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2023.103411
- Influence of individual streamflow gauging stations: a hybrid approach based on complex networks and copulas D. Muthuvel et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134164
21 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Characterizing causal urban climate networks of major cities in China Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2026.107636
- Hydroclimatic Whiplash Across the Contiguous United States: Characterizing Wet–Dry Transitions in PDSI and PHDI J. Lam & T. Piechota https://doi.org/10.3390/w18131599
- Early warning signals for critical transitions in complex systems S. George et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/acde20
- Causal mediation of urban temperature by geopotential height in U.S. cities Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2023.105010
- Action functional as an early warning indicator in the space of probability measures via Schrödinger bridge P. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/qub2.86
- Regime Shifts due to Multi-dimensional Flood Drivers in Urban Socio-environmental Systems in Northeast India J. Jain et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-026-01255-8
- A Review of the Research Status of Teleconnection 娜. 王 https://doi.org/10.12677/GSER.2023.123038
- Causal network and dynamic synchronization of urban thermal environment C. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2025.0041
- Early warning and prediction of water resources carrying capacity based on a System Dynamics Modeling Approach in the Shule River Basin, Northwest China H. Guo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2025.100991
- Megacities are causal pacemakers of extreme heatwaves X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-024-00148-x
- Teleconnection driven drought to flood sequences and spatially compound events in urban water systems for resilient cities K. Haddad https://doi.org/10.1007/s44327-026-00333-w
- A combustion oscillation classification method based on multi-feature extraction S. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0256248
- Spatial strain correlations reveal irreversible deformation under increasing pressure cycles of a granular packing S. Kundu & Y. Edery https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gete.2026.100872
- Detecting the causal influence of thermal environments among climate regions in the United States X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116001
- Building resilient urban water systems: emerging opportunities for solving long-lasting challenges B. Nlend et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2025.2529267
- Geospatial and temporal assessment of Belai Beel: a seasonally flooded freshwater wetland in Bangladesh with special reference to its socio-ecological condition M. Islam et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-025-00470-w
- Finding Causal Gateways of Precipitation Over the Contiguous United States X. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101942
- Modeling urban land surface dynamics using Arizona single-layer urban canopy model in Python (ASLUM-Py) N. Rahmatollahi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126840
- Comparative analysis of machine learning approaches for heatwave event prediction in India R. V et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04634-9
- Prioritizing environmental determinants of urban heat islands: A machine learning study for major cities in China H. Hou et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2023.103411
- Influence of individual streamflow gauging stations: a hybrid approach based on complex networks and copulas D. Muthuvel et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.134164
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 12 Aug 2026
Short summary
In this study, we investigated potentially catastrophic transitions in hydrological processes by identifying the early-warning signals which manifest as a
critical slowing downin complex dynamic systems. We then analyzed the precipitation network of cities in the contiguous United States and found that key network parameters, such as the nodal density and the clustering coefficient, exhibit similar dynamic behaviour, which can serve as novel early-warning signals for the hydrological system.
In this study, we investigated potentially catastrophic transitions in hydrological processes by...
