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.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1981-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Technical note
| 
22 Apr 2025
Technical note |
| 22 Apr 2025
| 22 Apr 2025
Technical note: What does the Standardized Streamflow Index actually reflect? Insights and implications for hydrological drought analysis
Fabián Lema
Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Advanced Mining Technology Center, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Nicolás A. Vásquez
Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Naoki Mizukami
Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Mauricio Zambrano-Bigiarini
Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
Center for Climate and Resilience Research, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Ximena Vargas
Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Cited
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Integrated use of meteorological and hydrological indices for drought early warning in the mountainous catchments of the Himalaya-Karakorum-Hindukush region T. Akhtar et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-25396-4
- How well do hydrological models simulate streamflow extremes and drought-to-flood transitions? E. Muñoz-Castro et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-825-2026
- A century long ensemble streamflow dataset in the Pacific Northwest to support water security assessments N. Mizukami et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06865-5
- The coupled impacts of land management and climate variability on the hydrology of the Crocodile River Catchment in South Africa M. Nkosi & F. Mathivha https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2026.1751055
- Development of a Novel Non-Stationary Daily Hydrological Drought Index C. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-026-04777-y
- What is a drought-to-flood transition? Pitfalls and recommendations for defining consecutive hydrological extreme events B. Anderson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6069-2025
- Less water from glaciers during future megadroughts in the Southern Andes Á. Ayala et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02845-6
- Elevated vapor pressure deficit drives compound drought intensification across spatiotemporal scales Y. Pang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105552
- Early forecasting of vegetation health index in the Srepok basin based on meteorological and hydrological drought indices H. Luc & L. Van Viet https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/add861
- Drought and salinity intrusion in the Lower Chao Phraya River: variability analysis and modeling mitigation approaches S. Tomkratoke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3771-2025
- 3D finite-volume modeling of saltwater intrusion dynamics and mitigation under drought conditions: A case study of the Minjiang river estuary, China Y. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2026.110025
- Future Hydrological Drought and Water Sustainability in the Sava River Basin: Machine Learning Projections Under Climate Change Scenarios I. Leščešen et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062678
- Characterizing low and high flow spells and their temporal transitions using baseflow estimates G. Guimarães et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-4245-2026
- Comparative multi-index analysis of existing drought typology and environmental droughts in a climate-stressed region A. Srivastava et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16859-9
- Long-term basin trends confirm a record 2022–2024 hydrological drought and water-storage losses in western Amazonia G. De la Cruz et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102951
- National-scale patterns and controls of hydrological drought recovery in Poland P. Marcinkowski https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103767
16 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Integrated use of meteorological and hydrological indices for drought early warning in the mountainous catchments of the Himalaya-Karakorum-Hindukush region T. Akhtar et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-25396-4
- How well do hydrological models simulate streamflow extremes and drought-to-flood transitions? E. Muñoz-Castro et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-825-2026
- A century long ensemble streamflow dataset in the Pacific Northwest to support water security assessments N. Mizukami et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06865-5
- The coupled impacts of land management and climate variability on the hydrology of the Crocodile River Catchment in South Africa M. Nkosi & F. Mathivha https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2026.1751055
- Development of a Novel Non-Stationary Daily Hydrological Drought Index C. Yu et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-026-04777-y
- What is a drought-to-flood transition? Pitfalls and recommendations for defining consecutive hydrological extreme events B. Anderson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6069-2025
- Less water from glaciers during future megadroughts in the Southern Andes Á. Ayala et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02845-6
- Elevated vapor pressure deficit drives compound drought intensification across spatiotemporal scales Y. Pang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105552
- Early forecasting of vegetation health index in the Srepok basin based on meteorological and hydrological drought indices H. Luc & L. Van Viet https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/add861
- Drought and salinity intrusion in the Lower Chao Phraya River: variability analysis and modeling mitigation approaches S. Tomkratoke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3771-2025
- 3D finite-volume modeling of saltwater intrusion dynamics and mitigation under drought conditions: A case study of the Minjiang river estuary, China Y. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2026.110025
- Future Hydrological Drought and Water Sustainability in the Sava River Basin: Machine Learning Projections Under Climate Change Scenarios I. Leščešen et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062678
- Characterizing low and high flow spells and their temporal transitions using baseflow estimates G. Guimarães et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-4245-2026
- Comparative multi-index analysis of existing drought typology and environmental droughts in a climate-stressed region A. Srivastava et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16859-9
- Long-term basin trends confirm a record 2022–2024 hydrological drought and water-storage losses in western Amazonia G. De la Cruz et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102951
- National-scale patterns and controls of hydrological drought recovery in Poland P. Marcinkowski https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2026.103767
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 12 Aug 2026
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.
Hydrological droughts affect ecosystems and socioeconomic activities worldwide. Despite the fact...
