Articles | Volume 29, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3629-2025
© 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-29-3629-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Will rivers become more intermittent in France? Learning from an extended set of hydrological projections
INRAE Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, RiverLy, Villeurbanne, France
Lionel Benoit
INRAE PACA, Biostatistique et processus SPatiaux, Avignon, France
Louis Héraut
INRAE Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, RiverLy, Villeurbanne, France
INRAE Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, RiverLy, Villeurbanne, France
Related authors
Eric Sauquet, Guillaume Evin, Sonia Siauve, Ryma Aissat, Patrick Arnaud, Maud Bérel, Jérémie Bonneau, Flora Branger, Yvan Caballero, François Colléoni, Agnès Ducharne, Joël Gailhard, Florence Habets, Frédéric Hendrickx, Louis Héraut, Benoît Hingray, Peng Huang, Tristan Jaouen, Alexis Jeantet, Sandra Lanini, Matthieu Le Lay, Claire Magand, Louise Mimeau, Céline Monteil, Simon Munier, Charles Perrin, Olivier Robelin, Fabienne Rousset, Jean-Michel Soubeyroux, Laurent Strohmenger, Guillaume Thirel, Flore Tocquer, Yves Tramblay, Jean-Pierre Vergnes, and Jean-Philippe Vidal
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1788, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1788, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
The Explore2 project has provided an unprecedented set of hydrological projections in terms of the number of hydrological models used and the spatial and temporal resolution. The results have been made available through various media. Under the high-emission scenario, the hydrological models mostly agree on the decrease in seasonal flows in the south of France, confirming its hotspot status, and on the decrease in summer flows throughout France, with the exception of the northern part of France.
Guillaume Evin, Benoit Hingray, Guillaume Thirel, Agnès Ducharne, Laurent Strohmenger, Lola Corre, Yves Tramblay, Jean-Philippe Vidal, Jérémie Bonneau, François Colleoni, Joël Gailhard, Florence Habets, Frédéric Hendrickx, Louis Héraut, Peng Huang, Matthieu Le Lay, Claire Magand, Paola Marson, Céline Monteil, Simon Munier, Alix Reverdy, Jean-Michel Soubeyroux, Yoann Robin, Jean-Pierre Vergnes, Mathieu Vrac, and Eric Sauquet
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2727, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2727, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
Explore2 provides hydrological projections for 1,735 French catchments. Using QUALYPSO, this study assesses uncertainties, including internal variability. By the end of the century, low flows are projected to decline in southern France under high emissions, while other indicators remain uncertain. Emission scenarios and regional climate models are key uncertainty sources. Internal variability is often as large as climate-driven changes.
Lionel Benoit, Matthew P. Lucas, Denis Allard, Keri M. Kodama, and Thomas W. Giambelluca
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2181, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2181, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
In mountainous regions the interactions between topography and prevailing winds generate orographic effects, which modulate rainfall occurrence and intensity depending on slope exposure, finally creating strong rainfall gradients. This study introduces a geostatistical model dedicated to rainfall mapping in mountainous areas, which therefore explicitly account for possible orographic effects.
Eric Sauquet, Guillaume Evin, Sonia Siauve, Ryma Aissat, Patrick Arnaud, Maud Bérel, Jérémie Bonneau, Flora Branger, Yvan Caballero, François Colléoni, Agnès Ducharne, Joël Gailhard, Florence Habets, Frédéric Hendrickx, Louis Héraut, Benoît Hingray, Peng Huang, Tristan Jaouen, Alexis Jeantet, Sandra Lanini, Matthieu Le Lay, Claire Magand, Louise Mimeau, Céline Monteil, Simon Munier, Charles Perrin, Olivier Robelin, Fabienne Rousset, Jean-Michel Soubeyroux, Laurent Strohmenger, Guillaume Thirel, Flore Tocquer, Yves Tramblay, Jean-Pierre Vergnes, and Jean-Philippe Vidal
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1788, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1788, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
Short summary
Short summary
The Explore2 project has provided an unprecedented set of hydrological projections in terms of the number of hydrological models used and the spatial and temporal resolution. The results have been made available through various media. Under the high-emission scenario, the hydrological models mostly agree on the decrease in seasonal flows in the south of France, confirming its hotspot status, and on the decrease in summer flows throughout France, with the exception of the northern part of France.
Yves Tramblay, Guillaume Thirel, Laurent Strohmenger, Guillaume Evin, Lola Corre, Louis Heraut, and Eric Sauquet
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1635, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1635, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
How climate change impacts floods in France? Using simulations for 3000 rivers in climate projections, results show that flood trends vary depending on the region. In the north, floods may become more severe, but in many other areas, the trends are mixed. Floods from intense rainfall are becoming more frequent, while snowmelt floods are strongly decreasing. Overall, the study shows that understanding what causes floods is key to predicting how they are likely to change with the climate.
Peng Huang, Agnès Ducharne, Lucia Rinchiuso, Jan Polcher, Laure Baratgin, Vladislav Bastrikov, and Eric Sauquet
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 4455–4476, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4455-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4455-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted a high-resolution hydrological simulation from 1959 to 2020 across France. We used a simple trial-and-error calibration to reduce the biases of the simulated water budget compared to observations. The selected simulation satisfactorily reproduces water fluxes, including their spatial contrasts and temporal trends. This work offers a reliable historical overview of water resources and a robust configuration for climate change impact analysis at the nationwide scale of France.
Samuel Morin, Hugues François, Marion Réveillet, Eric Sauquet, Louise Crochemore, Flora Branger, Étienne Leblois, and Marie Dumont
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 4257–4277, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4257-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4257-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Ski resorts are a key socio-economic asset of several mountain areas. Grooming and snowmaking are routinely used to manage the snow cover on ski pistes, but despite vivid debate, little is known about their impact on water resources downstream. This study quantifies, for the pilot ski resort La Plagne in the French Alps, the impact of grooming and snowmaking on downstream river flow. Hydrological impacts are mostly apparent at the seasonal scale and rather neutral on the annual scale.
Laurent Strohmenger, Eric Sauquet, Claire Bernard, Jérémie Bonneau, Flora Branger, Amélie Bresson, Pierre Brigode, Rémy Buzier, Olivier Delaigue, Alexandre Devers, Guillaume Evin, Maïté Fournier, Shu-Chen Hsu, Sandra Lanini, Alban de Lavenne, Thibault Lemaitre-Basset, Claire Magand, Guilherme Mendoza Guimarães, Max Mentha, Simon Munier, Charles Perrin, Tristan Podechard, Léo Rouchy, Malak Sadki, Myriam Soutif-Bellenger, François Tilmant, Yves Tramblay, Anne-Lise Véron, Jean-Philippe Vidal, and Guillaume Thirel
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3375–3391, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3375-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3375-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present the results of a large visual inspection campaign of 674 streamflow time series in France. The objective was to detect non-natural records resulting from instrument failure or anthropogenic influences, such as hydroelectric power generation or reservoir management. We conclude that the identification of flaws in flow time series is highly dependent on the objectives and skills of individual evaluators, and we raise the need for better practices for data cleaning.
Yves Tramblay, Patrick Arnaud, Guillaume Artigue, Michel Lang, Emmanuel Paquet, Luc Neppel, and Eric Sauquet
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2973–2987, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2973-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2973-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Mediterranean floods are causing major damage, and recent studies have shown that, despite the increase in intense rainfall, there has been no increase in river floods. This study reveals that the seasonality of floods changed in the Mediterranean Basin during 1959–2021. There was also an increased frequency of floods linked to short episodes of intense rain, associated with a decrease in soil moisture. These changes need to be taken into consideration to adapt flood warning systems.
Nadav Peleg, Herminia Torelló-Sentelles, Grégoire Mariéthoz, Lionel Benoit, João P. Leitão, and Francesco Marra
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1233–1240, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1233-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1233-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Floods in urban areas are one of the most common natural hazards. Due to climate change enhancing extreme rainfall and cities becoming larger and denser, the impacts of these events are expected to increase. A fast and reliable flood warning system should thus be implemented in flood-prone cities to warn the public of upcoming floods. The purpose of this brief communication is to discuss the potential implementation of low-cost acoustic rainfall sensors in short-term flood warning systems.
Aurélien Beaufort, Jacob S. Diamond, Eric Sauquet, and Florentina Moatar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3477–3495, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3477-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3477-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We developed one of the largest stream temperature databases to calculate a simple, ecologically relevant metric – the thermal peak – that captures the magnitude of summer thermal extremes. Using statistical models, we extrapolated the thermal peak to nearly every stream in France, finding the hottest thermal peaks along large rivers without forested riparian zones and groundwater inputs. Air temperature was a poor proxy for the thermal peak, highlighting the need to grow monitoring networks.
Veit Blauhut, Michael Stoelzle, Lauri Ahopelto, Manuela I. Brunner, Claudia Teutschbein, Doris E. Wendt, Vytautas Akstinas, Sigrid J. Bakke, Lucy J. Barker, Lenka Bartošová, Agrita Briede, Carmelo Cammalleri, Ksenija Cindrić Kalin, Lucia De Stefano, Miriam Fendeková, David C. Finger, Marijke Huysmans, Mirjana Ivanov, Jaak Jaagus, Jiří Jakubínský, Svitlana Krakovska, Gregor Laaha, Monika Lakatos, Kiril Manevski, Mathias Neumann Andersen, Nina Nikolova, Marzena Osuch, Pieter van Oel, Kalina Radeva, Renata J. Romanowicz, Elena Toth, Mirek Trnka, Marko Urošev, Julia Urquijo Reguera, Eric Sauquet, Aleksandra Stevkov, Lena M. Tallaksen, Iryna Trofimova, Anne F. Van Loon, Michelle T. H. van Vliet, Jean-Philippe Vidal, Niko Wanders, Micha Werner, Patrick Willems, and Nenad Živković
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2201–2217, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2201-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2201-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Recent drought events caused enormous damage in Europe. We therefore questioned the existence and effect of current drought management strategies on the actual impacts and how drought is perceived by relevant stakeholders. Over 700 participants from 28 European countries provided insights into drought hazard and impact perception and current management strategies. The study concludes with an urgent need to collectively combat drought risk via a European macro-level drought governance approach.
Lionel Benoit, Lydie Sichoix, Alison D. Nugent, Matthew P. Lucas, and Thomas W. Giambelluca
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 2113–2129, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2113-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2113-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents a probabilistic model able to reproduce the spatial patterns of rainfall on tropical islands with complex topography. It sheds new light on rainfall variability at the island scale, and explores the links between rainfall patterns and atmospheric circulation. The proposed model has been tested on two islands of the tropical Pacific, and demonstrates good skills in simulating both site-specific and island-scale rain behavior.
Anthony Michelon, Lionel Benoit, Harsh Beria, Natalie Ceperley, and Bettina Schaefli
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2301–2325, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2301-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2301-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Rainfall observation remains a challenge, particularly in mountain environments. Unlike most studies which are model based, this analysis of the rainfall–runoff response of a 13.4 km2 alpine catchment is purely data based and relies on measurements from a network of 12 low-cost rain gauges over 3 months. It assesses the importance of high-density rainfall observations in informing hydrological processes and helps in designing a permanent rain gauge network.
Cited articles
Acuña, V., Datry, T., Marshall, J., Barceló, D., Dahm, C. N., Ginebreda, A., McGregor, G., Sabater, S., Tockner, K., and Palmer, M. A.: Why should we care about temporary waterways?, Science, 343, 1080–1081, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1246666, 2014.
Addor, N., Nearing, G., Prieto, C., Newman, A. J., le Vine, N., and Clark, M. P.: A Ranking of Hydrological Signatures Based on Their Predictability in Space, Water Resour. Res., 54, 8792–8812, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR022606, 2018.
Aitken, G., Beevers, L., Parry, S., and Facer-Childs, K.: Partitioning model uncertainty in multi-model ensemble river flow projections, Climatic Change, 176, 153, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-023-03621-1, 2023.
Barrow, C. J.: World atlas of desertification (United Nations Environment Programme), edited by N. Middleton and D. S. G. Thomas. Edward Arnold, London, 1992, isbn 0 340 55512 2, £89.50 (hardback), ix + 69 pp., Land Degrad. Dev., 3, 249–249, https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3400030407, 1992.
Beaufort, A., Lamouroux, N., Pella, H., Datry, T., and Sauquet, E.: Extrapolating regional probability of drying of headwater streams using discrete observations and gauging networks, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3033–3051, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3033-2018, 2018.
Beaufort, A., Carreau, J., and Sauquet, E.: A classification approach to reconstruct local daily drying dynamics at headwater streams, Hydrol. Process., 33, 1896–1912, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13445, 2019.
Belemtougri, A. P., Ducharne, A., Tazen, F., Oudin, L., and Karambiri, H.: Understanding key factors controlling the duration of river flow intermittency: Case of Burkina Faso in West Africa, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 37, 100908, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100908, 2021.
Bertassello, L. E., Durighetto, N., and Botter, G.: Eco-hydrological modelling of channel network dynamics - Part 2: Application to metapopulation dynamics, Roy. Soc. Open Sci., 9, 220945, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220945, 2022.
Botter, G. and Durighetto, N.: The Stream Length Duration Curve: A Tool for Characterizing the Time Variability of the Flowing Stream Length, Water Resour. Res., 56, e2020WR027282, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027282, 2020.
Bourke, S. A., Degens, B., Searle, J., de Castro Tayer, T., and Rothery, J.: Geological permeability controls streamflow generation in a remote, ungauged, semi-arid drainage system, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 38, 100956, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100956, 2021.
Carlson, S. M., Ruhí, A., Bogan, M. T., Hazard, C. W., Ayers, J., Grantham, T. E., Batalla, R. J., and Garcia, C.: Losing flow in free-flowing Mediterranean-climate streams, Front. Ecol. Environ., 22, e2737, https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2737, 2024.
Dai, Z., Amatya, D. M., Sun, G., Trettin, C. C., Li, C., and Li, H.: Climate variability and its impact on forest hydrology on south Carolina coastal plain, USA, Atmosphere, 2, 330–357, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos2030330, 2011.
Dakhlaoui, H., Ruelland, D., Tramblay, Y., and Bargaoui, Z.: Evaluating the robustness of conceptual rainfall-runoff models under climate variability in northern Tunisia, J. Hydrol., 550, 201–217, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.04.032, 2017.
Decharme, B., Delire, C., Minvielle, M., Colin, J., Vergnes, J.-P., Alias, A., Saint-Martin, D., Séférian, R., Sénési, S., and Voldoire, A.: Recent changes in the ISBA-CTRIP land surface system for use in the CNRM-CM6 climate model and in global off-line hydrological applications, J. Adv. Model. Earth Sy., 11, 1207–1252, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001545, 2019.
De Girolamo, A. M., Barca, E., Leone, M., and Lo Porto, A.: Impact of long-term climate change on flow regime in a Mediterranean basin, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 41, 101061, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2022.101061, 2022.
de Lavenne, A., Thirel, G., Andréassian, V., Perrin, C., and Ramos, M.-H.: Spatial variability of the parameters of a semi-distributed hydrological model, Proc. IAHS, 373, 87–94, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-87-2016, 2016.
Delso, J., Magdaleno, F., and Fernández-Yuste, J. A.: Flow patterns in temporary rivers: a methodological approach applied to southern Iberia, Hydrol. Sci. J., 62, 1551–1563, https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2017.1346375, 2017.
Dhungel, S., Tarboton, D. G., Jin, J., and Hawkins, C. P.: Potential effects of climate change on ecologically relevant streamflow regimes, River Res. Applic., 32, 1827–1840, https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3029, 2016.
Döll, P. and Schmied, H. M.: How is the impact of climate change on river flow regimes related to the impact on mean annual runoff? A global-scale analysis, Environ. Res. Lett., 7, 014037, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014037, 2012.
Döll, P. and Zhang, J.: Impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems: a global-scale analysis of ecologically relevant river flow alterations, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 783–799, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-783-2010, 2010.
Döll, P., Abbasi, M., Messager, M. L., Trautmann, T., Lehner, B., Lamouroux, N.: Streamflow Intermittence in Europe: Estimating High-Resolution Monthly Time Series by Downscaling of Simulated Runoff and Random Forest Modeling, Water Resour. Res., 60, e2023WR036900, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036900, 2024.
Douville, H., Raghavan, K., Renwick, J., Allan, R. P., Arias, P. A., Barlow, M., Cerezo-Mota, R., Cherchi, A., Gan, T.Y., Gergis, J., Jiang, D., Khan, A., Pokam Mba, W., Rosenfeld, D., Tierney, J., and Zolina, O.: Water Cycle Changes. In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pirani, A., Connors, S.L., Péan, C., Berger, S., Caud, N., Chen, Y., Goldfarb, L., Gomis, M.I., Huang, M., Leitzell, K., Lonnoy, E., Matthews, J.B.R., Maycock, T.K., Waterfield, T., Yelekçi, O., Yu, R., and Zhou, B.], Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1055–1210, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896.010, 2021.
Durighetto, N., Bertassello, L. E., and Botter, G.: Eco-hydrological modelling of channel network dynamics - Part 1: Stochastic simulation of active stream expansion and retraction, Roy. Soc. Open Sci., 9, 220944, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220944, 2022.
Evin, G., Hingray, B., Blanchet, J., Eckert, N., Morin, S., and Verfaillie, D.: Partitioning uncertainty components of an incomplete ensemble of climate projections using data augmentation, J. Climate, 32, 2423–2440, https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-18-0606.1, 2019.
Evin, G., Somot, S., and Hingray, B.: Balanced estimate and uncertainty assessment of European climate change using the large EURO-CORDEX regional climate model ensemble, Earth Syst. Dynam., 12, 1543–1569, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-12-1543-2021, 2021.
Evin, G., Hingray, B., Reverdy, A., Ducharne, A., and Sauquet, E.: Ensemble de projections Explore2: Changements moyens et incertitudes associées, Recherche Data Gouv [data set], https://doi.org/10.57745/KWH320, 2024.
Finn, D., Bonada, N., Múrria, C., and Hughes, J.: Small but mighty: headwaters are vital to stream network biodiversity at two levels of organization, J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc., 30, 963–980, https://doi.org/10.1899/11-012.1, 2011.
Gallart, F., Prat, N., García-Roger, E. M., Latron, J., Rieradevall, M., Llorens, P., Barberá, G. G., Brito, D., De Girolamo, A. M., Lo Porto, A., Buffagni, A., Erba, S., Neves, R., Nikolaidis, N. P., Perrin, J. L., Querner, E. P., Quiñonero, J. M., Tournoud, M. G., Tzoraki, O., Skoulikidis, N., Gómez, R., Sánchez-Montoya, M. M., and Froebrich, J.: A novel approach to analysing the regimes of temporary streams in relation to their controls on the composition and structure of aquatic biota, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3165–3182, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3165-2012, 2012.
Geris, J., Tetzlaff, D., and Soulsby, C.: Resistance and resilience to droughts: Hydropedological controls on catchment storage and run-off response, Hydrol. Process., 29, 4579–4593, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10480, 2015.
Giezendanner, J., Benettin, P., Durighetto, N., Botter, G., and Rinaldo, A.: A Note on the Role of Seasonal Expansions and Contractions of the Flowing Fluvial Network on Metapopulation Persistence, Water Resour. Res., 57, e2021WR029813, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR029813, 2021.
González-Ferreras, A. M., and Barquín, J.: Mapping the temporary and perennial character of whole river networks, Water Resour. Res., 53, 6709–6724, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR020390, 2017.
Gudmundsson, L., Boulange, J., Do, H. X., Gosling, S. N., Grillakis, M. G., Koutroulis, A. G., Leonard, M., Liu, J., Müller Schmied, H., Papadimitriou, L., Pokhrel, Y., Seneviratne, S. I., Satoh, Y., Thiery, W., Westra, S., Zhang, X., and Zhao, F.: Globally observed trends in mean and extreme river flow attributed to climate change, Science, 371, 1159–1162, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3996, 2021.
Gupta, H., Kling, H., Yilmaz, K., and Martinez, G.: Decomposition of the mean squared error and NSE performance criteria: Implications for improving hydrological modelling, J. Hydrol., 377, 80–91, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.08.003, 2009.
Halloran, L., Millwater, J., Hunkeler, D., and Arnoux, M.: Climate change impacts on groundwater discharge-dependent streamflow in an alpine headwater catchment, Sci. Total Environ., 902, 166009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166009, 2023.
Hammond, J. C. and Fleming, B. J.: Evaluating low flow patterns, drivers and trends in the Delaware River Basin, J. Hydrol., 598, 126246, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126246, 2021.
Huang, P., Ducharne, A., Rinchiuso, L., Polcher, J., Baratgin, L., Bastrikov, V., and Sauquet, E.: Multi-objective calibration and evaluation of the ORCHIDEE land surface model over France at high resolution, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 4455–4476, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4455-2024, 2024.
Jaeger, K. L., Olden, J. D., and Pelland, N. A.: Climate change poised to threaten hydrologic connectivity and endemic fishes in dryland streams, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 111, 13894–13899, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320890111, 2014.
Jaeger, K. L., Sando, R., McShane, R. R., Dunham, J. B., Hockman-Wert, D. P., Kaiser, K. E., Hafen, K., Risley, J. C., and Blasch, K. W.: Probability of Streamflow Permanence Model (PROSPER): A spatially continuous model of annual streamflow permanence throughout the Pacific Northwest, Journal of Hydrology X, 2, 100005, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2018.100005, 2019.
Jaouen, T.: tjaouen/WillRiversBecomeMoreIntermittentInFrance: WillRiversBecomeMoreIntermittentInFrance_Article, Zenodo [code], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15974001, 2025.
Jay-Allemand, M., Javelle, P., Gejadze, I., Arnaud, P., Malaterre, P.-O., Fine, J.-A., and Organde, D.: On the potential of variational calibration for a fully distributed hydrological model: application on a Mediterranean catchment, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5519–5538, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5519-2020, 2020.
Lapides, D. A., Leclerc, C. D., Moidu, H., Dralle, D. N., and Hahm, W. J.: Variability of stream extents controlled by flow regime and network hydraulic scaling, Hydrol. Process., 35, e14079, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14079, 2021.
Larned, S. T., Datry, T., Arscott, D. B., and Tockner, K.: Emerging concepts in temporary-river ecology, Freshwater Biol., 55, 717–738, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02322.x, 2010.
Leigh, C. and Datry, T.: Drying as a primary hydrological determinant of biodiversity in river systems: A broad-scale analysis, Ecography, 40, 487–499, https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.02230, 2017.
Leleu, I., Tonnelier, I., Puechberty, R., Gouin, P., Viquendi, I., Cobos, L., Foray, A., Baillon, M., and Ndima, P.-O.: Re-founding the national information system designed to manage and give access to hydrometric data, Houille Blanche, 100, 25–32, https://doi.org/10.1051/lhb/2014004, 2014.
Messager, M. L., Lehner, B., Cockburn, C., Lamouroux, N., Pella, H., Snelder, T., Tockner, K., Trautmann, T., Watt, C., and Datry, T.: Global prevalence of non-perennial rivers and streams, Nature, 594, 391–397, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03565-5, 2021.
Meyer, J., Strayer, D., Wallace, J., Eggert, S., Helfman, G., and Leonard, N.: The contribution of headwater streams to biodiversity in river networks, J. Am. Water Resour. As., 43, 86–103, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.2007.00008.x, 2007.
Morel, M., Pella, H., Branger, F., Sauquet, E., Grenouillet, G., Côte, J., Braud, I., and Lamouroux, N.: Catchment-scale applications of hydraulic habitat models: Climate change effects on fish, Ecohydrology, 16, e2513, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2513, 2023.
Nash, J. E. and Sutcliffe, J. V.: River flow forecasting through conceptual models part I – A discussion of principles, J. Hydrol., 10, 282–290, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(70)90255-6, 1970.
OFB: Observatoire National Des Etiages (ONDE), Office Français de la Biodiversité [data set], https://hubeau.eaufrance.fr/page/api-ecoulement, last access: 4 March 2025.
Pumo, D., Caracciolo, D., Viola, F., and Noto, L. V.: Climate change effects on the hydrological regime of small non-perennial river basins, Sci. Total Environ., 542, 76–92, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.109, 2016.
Reidy Liermann, C., Olden, J., Beechie, T., Kennard, M., Skidmore, P., Konrad, C., and Imaki, H.: Hydrogeomorphic classification of Washington State rivers to support emerging environmental flow management strategies, River Res. Appl., 28, 1340–1358, https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.1541, 2012.
Reynolds, L. V., Shafroth, P. B., and Poff, L.: Modeled intermittency risk for small streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin under climate change, J. Hydrol., 523, 768–780, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.02.025, 2015.
Ribes, A., Boé, J., Qasmi, S., Dubuisson, B., Douville, H., and Terray, L.: An updated assessment of past and future warming over France based on a regional observational constraint, Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 1397–1415, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1397-2022, 2022.
Rutkowska, A., Osuch, M., Żelazny, M., Banasik, K., and Klimek, M.: Climatic and anthropogenic drivers of zero-flow events in intermittent rivers in Poland, Journal of Water and Land Development, 57, 52–61, https://doi.org/10.24425/jwld.2023.145335, 2023.
Sando, R., Jaeger, K. L., Farmer, W. H., Barnhart, T. B., McShane, R. R., Welborn, T. L., Kaiser, K. E., Hafen, K. C., Blasch, K., York, B., and Shallcross, A.: Predictions and drivers of sub-reach-scale annual streamflow permanence for the upper Missouri River basin: 1989–2018, Journal of Hydrology X, 17, 100138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2022.100138, 2022.
Sarremejane, R., Cañedo-Argüelles, M., Prat, N., Mykrä, H., Muotka, T., and Bonada, N.: Do metacommunities vary through time? Intermittent rivers as model systems, J. Biogeogr., 44, 2752–2763, https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13077, 2017.
Sauquet, E., Beaufort, A., Sarremejane, R., and Thirel, G.: Predicting flow intermittence in France under climate change, Hydrolog. Sci. J., 66, 2046-2059, https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2021.1963444, 2021.
Sauquet, E., Evin, G., Siauve, S., Bornancin-Plantier, A., Jacquin, N., Arnaud, P., Bérel, M., Bernus, S., Bonneau, J., Branger, F., Caballero, Y., Colléoni, F., Collet, L., Corre, L., Drouin, A., Ducharne, A., Fournier, M., Gailhard, J., Habets, F., Hendrickx, F., Héraut, L., Hingray, B., Huang, P., Jaouen, T., Jeantet, A., Lanini, S., Le Lay, M., Loudin, S., Magand, C., Marson, P., Mimeau, L., Monteil, C., Munier, S., Perrin, C., Robin, Y., Rousset, F., Soubeyroux, J.-M., Strohmenger, L., Thirel, G., Tocquer, F., Tramblay, Y., Vergnes, J.-P., Vidal, J.-P., and Vrac, M.: Messages et enseignements du projet Explore2, Recherche Data Gouv [data set], https://doi.org/10.57745/J3XIPW, 2024.
Sauquet, E., Evin, G., Siauve, S., Aissat, R., Arnaud, P., Bérel, M., Bonneau, J., Branger, F., Caballero, Y., Colléoni, F., Ducharne, A., Gailhard, J., Habets, F., Hendrickx, F., Héraut, L., Hingray, B., Huang, P., Jaouen, T., Jeantet, A., Lanini, S., Le Lay, M., Magand, C., Mimeau, L., Monteil, C., Munier, S., Perrin, C., Robelin, O., Rousset, F., Soubeyroux, J.-M., Strohmenger, L., Thirel, G., Tocquer, F., Tramblay, Y., Vergnes, J.-P., and Vidal, J.-P.: A large transient multi-scenario multi-model ensemble of future streamflow and groundwater projections in France, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1788, 2025a.
Sauquet, E., Evin, G., Siauve, S., Aissat, R., Arnaud, P., Bérel, M., Bonneau, J., Branger, F., Caballero, Y., Colléoni, F., Ducharne, A., Gailhard, J., Garambois, P., Habets, F., Hendrickx, F., Héraut, L., Hingray, B., Huang, P., Jaouen, T., Jeantet, A., Lanini, S., Le Lay, M., Magand, C., Mimeau, L., Monteil, C., Munier, S., Perrin, C., Robelin, O., Rousset, F., Soubeyroux, J., Strohmenger, L., Thirel, G., Tocquer, F., Tramblay, Y., Vergnes, J., Vidal, J.: Ensemble des projections hydrologiques Explore2 du débit, INRAE & Entrepôt Recherche Data Gouv [data set], https://entrepot.recherche.data.gouv.fr/dataverse/explore2-projections_hydrologiques, last access: 4 March 2025b.
Scheller, M., Van Meerveld, I., and Seibert, J.: How well can people observe the flow state of temporary streams?, Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1352697, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1352697, 2024.
Schneider, A., Jost, A., Coulon, C., Silvestre, M., Théry, S., and Ducharne, A.: Global-scale river network extraction based on high-resolution topography and constrained by lithology, climate, slope, and observed drainage density, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 2773–2781, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071844, 2017.
Schneider, C., Laizé, C. L. R., Acreman, M. C., and Flörke, M.: How will climate change modify river flow regimes in Europe?, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 325–339, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-325-2013, 2013.
Sefton, C. E. M., Parry, S., England, J., and Angell, G.: Visualising and quantifying the variability of hydrological state in intermittent rivers, Fund. Appl. Limnol., 193, 21–38, https://doi.org/10.1127/fal/2019/1149, 2019.
Shaw, S. B., Bonville, D. B., and Chandler, D. G.: Combining observations of channel network contraction and spatial discharge variation to inform spatial controls on baseflow in Birch Creek, Catskill Mountains, USA, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 12, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2017.03.003, 2017.
Snelder, T. H., Datry, T., Lamouroux, N., Larned, S. T., Sauquet, E., Pella, H., and Catalogne, C.: Regionalization of patterns of flow intermittence from gauging station records, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 2685–2699, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2685-2013, 2013.
Strohmenger, L., Sauquet, E., Bernard, C., Bonneau, J., Branger, F., Bresson, A., Brigode, P., Buzier, R., Delaigue, O., Devers, A., Evin, G., Fournier, M., Hsu, S.-C., Lanini, S., de Lavenne, A., Lemaitre-Basset, T., Magand, C., Mendoza Guimarães, G., Mentha, M., Munier, S., Perrin, C., Podechard, T., Rouchy, L., Sadki, M., Soutif-Bellenger, M., Tilmant, F., Tramblay, Y., Véron, A.-L., Vidal, J.-P., and Thirel, G.: On the visual detection of non-natural records in streamflow time series: challenges and impacts, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3375–3391, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3375-2023, 2023.
Tramblay, Y. and Somot, S.: Future evolution of extreme precipitation in the Mediterranean, Climatic Change, 151, 289–302, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2300-5, 2018.
Tramblay, Y., Rutkowska, A., Sauquet, E., Sefton, C., Laaha, G., Osuch, M., Albuquerque, M. T. D., Alves, M. H., Banasik, K., Beaufort, A., Brocca, L., Camici, S., Csabai, Z., Dakhlaoui, H., DeGirolamo, A. M., Dörflinger, G., Gallart, F., Gauster, T., Hanich, L., Kohnová, S., Mediero, L., Plamen, N., Parry, S., Quintana-Seguí, P., Tzoraki, O., and Datry, T.: Trends in flow intermittence for European rivers, Hydrolog. Sci. J., 66, 37–49, https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2020.1849708, 2020.
Van Meerveld, H. J. I., Sauquet, E., Gallart, F., Sefton, C., Seibert, J., and Bishop, K.: Aqua temporaria incognita, Hydrol. Process., 34, 5704–5711, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13979, 2020.
Verfaillie, D., Lafaysse, M., Déqué, M., Eckert, N., Lejeune, Y., and Morin, S.: Multi-component ensembles of future meteorological and natural snow conditions for 1500 m altitude in the Chartreuse mountain range, Northern French Alps, The Cryosphere, 12, 1249–1271, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1249-2018, 2018.
Vicente-Serrano, S. M., Peña-Gallardo, M., Hannaford, J., Murphy, C., Lorenzo-Lacruz, J., Dominguez-Castro, F., López-Moreno, J. I., Beguería, S., Noguera, I., Harrigan, S., and Vidal, J. P.: Climate, Irrigation, and Land Cover Change Explain Streamflow Trends in Countries Bordering the Northeast Atlantic, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, 10821–10833, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084084, 2019.
Vicente-Serrano, S. M., McVicar, T. R., Miralles, D. G., Yang, Y., and Tomas-Burguera, M.: Unravelling the influence of atmospheric evaporative demand on drought and its response to climate change, WIREs Clim Change, 11, e632, https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.632, 2020.
Vidal, J.-P., Martin, E., Franchistéguy, L., Baillon, M., and Soubeyroux, J.-M.: A 50-year high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis over France with the Safran system, Int. J. Climatol., 30, 1627–1644, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.2003, 2010.
Wasson, J. G., Chandesris, A., Pella, H., and Blanc, L.: Définition des hydro-écorégions françaises métropolitaines. Approche régionale de la typologie des eaux courantes et éléments pour la définition des peuplements de référence d'invertébrés, Irstea, hal-02580774, 190 pp., https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02580774v1 (last access: 6 September 2024), 2002.
Yu, X. and Duffy, C. J.: Watershed hydrology: Scientific advances and environmental assessments, Water, 10, 288, https://doi.org/10.3390/w10030288, 2018.
Zipper, S., Hammond, J. C., Shanafield, M., Zimmer, M., Datry, T., Jones, C. N., Kaiser, K. E., Godsey, S. E., Burrows, R. M., Blaszczak, J. R., Busch, M. H., Price, A. N., Boersma, K. S., Ward, A. S., Costigan, K., Allen, G. H., Krabbenhoft, C. A., Dodds, W. K., Mims, M. C., Olden, J. D., Kampf, S. K., Burgin, A. J., and Allen, D. C.: Pervasive changes in stream intermittency across the United States, Environ. Res. Lett., 16, 084033, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac14ec, 2021.
Short summary
This study uses a multi-model approach to assess future changes in river flow intermittency across France under climate change. Combining projections from the Explore2 project with historical flow observations, logistic regressions estimate the daily probability of flow intermittency (PFI) under RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios. Results suggest intensifying and prolonged dry spells throughout the 21st century, with southern France more affected, while uncertainty remains higher in northern regions.
This study uses a multi-model approach to assess future changes in river flow intermittency...