Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: More than half of the world’s rivers are intermittent, and climate change is increasing their intermittency, affecting water resources and ecosystems. In Taiwan, steep topography and uneven rainfall have led to increased intermittency in some areas, reflecting changes in hydrological conditions. Using streamflow data, this study applied intermittency ratio (IR), modified 6-month dry period seasonality (SD6), and trend analysis, as well as watershed properties and climate indices. Results showed that 92% of stations had low flows for less than 20% of the time. The dry season was mainly from November to April, and intermittency was spatially affected mainly by upstream soil moisture, moderately by potential evapotranspiration and infiltration, and less by actual evapotranspiration and catchment area. Intermittency increased in the east and decreased in the west. It was negatively correlated with upstream soil moisture and strongly associated with rainfall frequency, especially the proportion of days with precipitation less than 1 mm. These patterns highlight regional differences in river responses to climate.
Source: Water
DOI: 10.3390/w17142090
Authors: Xi Fang, Hsin-Yu Chen, Hsin-Fu Yeh
Institution: National Cheng Kung University
Language: English
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W4412385782