Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
HESS
Articles | Volume 29, issue 8
Articles | Volume 29, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1981-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1981-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 29, issue 8
Technical note
 | 
22 Apr 2025
Technical note |  | 22 Apr 2025

Technical note: What does the Standardized Streamflow Index actually reflect? Insights and implications for hydrological drought analysis

Fabián Lema, Pablo A. Mendoza, Nicolás A. Vásquez, Naoki Mizukami, Mauricio Zambrano-Bigiarini, and Ximena Vargas

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1981-2025-supplement

Data sets

ERA5-Land hourly data from 1950 to present J. Muñoz Sabater https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.e2161bac

CR2MET: A high-resolution precipitation and temperature dataset for hydroclimatic research in Chile J. P. Boisier et al. https://www.cr2.cl/datos-productos-grillados

MCD12C1 MODIS/Terra+Aqua Land Cover Type Yearly L3 Global 0.05Deg CMG V006 M. Friedl and D. Sulla-Menashe https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MCD12C1.006

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Short summary
Hydrological droughts affect ecosystems and socioeconomic activities worldwide. Despite the fact that they are commonly described with the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI), there is limited understanding of what they truly reflect in terms of water cycle processes. Here, we used state-of-the-art hydrological models in Andean basins to examine drivers of SSI fluctuations. The results highlight the importance of careful selection of indices and timescales for accurate drought characterization and monitoring.
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Special issue
Drought, society, and ecosystems (NHESS/BG/GC/HESS inter-journal...