Articles | Volume 28, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1567-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-28-1567-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
08 Apr 2024
Research article |
| 08 Apr 2024
| 08 Apr 2024
Elasticity curves describe streamflow sensitivity to precipitation across the entire flow distribution
Bailey J. Anderson
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Manuela I. Brunner
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Louise J. Slater
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Simon J. Dadson
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
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Cited
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Challenges and opportunities of ML and explainable AI in large-sample hydrology L. Slater et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0287
- Drought decreases annual streamflow response to precipitation, especially in arid regions A. Matanó et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2749-2025
- Partitioning streamflow simulation uncertainty among precipitation forcing, physical process representation, and hydraulic parameters using WRF/WRF-Hydro model Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107220
- Hydrological sensitivity of mountainous wetlands to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration using elasticity curves J. Seo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107542
- Streamflow Elasticity to Precipitation Distribution and Potential Evapotranspiration Across South America A. Kolling Neto et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70386
- Streamflow elasticity as a function of aridity V. Andréassian et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1865-2026
- 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
- Evidence from 2024 Storm Boris indicates anthropogenic climate change amplifies floods more than extreme precipitation P. Miersch et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef7703
- Uncertainty, temporal variability, and influencing factors of empirical streamflow sensitivities S. Gnann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-779-2026
- 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
- Climate Sensitivity of River Runoff in the Shu–Talas Basin: A Scenario-Based Assessment S. Alimkulov et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18202493
- Evaluation of the applicability of elasticity curve-based future projections for Mountain Wetlands J. Seo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2026.108195
- 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
- Meteorological and hydrological dry-to-wet transition events are only weakly related over European catchments M. Brunner et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ade72c
- A Transparent Framework for Climate-Adjusted Building-Level Flood Damage Severity Analysis Under Data-Constrained Conditions S. Nedeljković et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18136836
- Direct vegetation response to recent CO2 rise shows limited effect on global streamflow H. Wei et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53879-x
- Eco-hydrologic model for assessing the climate and hydrologic elasticity of vegetation in mountain wetlands J. Seo et al. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40562-025-00429-y
- Analysis of rapidly decreasing discharge in the transboundary Amudarya River, Central Asia: considering climate change and human impacts R. Mahmood et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2026.100682
18 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Challenges and opportunities of ML and explainable AI in large-sample hydrology L. Slater et al. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0287
- Drought decreases annual streamflow response to precipitation, especially in arid regions A. Matanó et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2749-2025
- Partitioning streamflow simulation uncertainty among precipitation forcing, physical process representation, and hydraulic parameters using WRF/WRF-Hydro model Y. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2026.107220
- Hydrological sensitivity of mountainous wetlands to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration using elasticity curves J. Seo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107542
- Streamflow Elasticity to Precipitation Distribution and Potential Evapotranspiration Across South America A. Kolling Neto et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70386
- Streamflow elasticity as a function of aridity V. Andréassian et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1865-2026
- 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
- Evidence from 2024 Storm Boris indicates anthropogenic climate change amplifies floods more than extreme precipitation P. Miersch et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef7703
- Uncertainty, temporal variability, and influencing factors of empirical streamflow sensitivities S. Gnann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-779-2026
- 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
- Climate Sensitivity of River Runoff in the Shu–Talas Basin: A Scenario-Based Assessment S. Alimkulov et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/w18202493
- Evaluation of the applicability of elasticity curve-based future projections for Mountain Wetlands J. Seo et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2026.108195
- 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
- Meteorological and hydrological dry-to-wet transition events are only weakly related over European catchments M. Brunner et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ade72c
- A Transparent Framework for Climate-Adjusted Building-Level Flood Damage Severity Analysis Under Data-Constrained Conditions S. Nedeljković et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18136836
- Direct vegetation response to recent CO2 rise shows limited effect on global streamflow H. Wei et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53879-x
- Eco-hydrologic model for assessing the climate and hydrologic elasticity of vegetation in mountain wetlands J. Seo et al. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40562-025-00429-y
- Analysis of rapidly decreasing discharge in the transboundary Amudarya River, Central Asia: considering climate change and human impacts R. Mahmood et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2026.100682
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 02 Nov 2026
Short summary
Elasticityrefers to how much the amount of water in a river changes with precipitation. We usually calculate this using average streamflow values; however, the amount of water within rivers is also dependent on stored water sources. Here, we look at how elasticity varies across the streamflow distribution and show that not only do low and high streamflows respond differently to precipitation change, but also these differences vary with water storage availability.
Elasticityrefers to how much the amount of water in a river changes with precipitation. We...
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