Atlantic Ocean sea-surface temperatures and regional streamflow variability in the Adour-Garonne basin,France

Abstract

The identification of Atlantic Ocean (AO) climatic drivers may prove valuable in long lead-time forecasting of streamflow in the Adour-Garonne basin in southwestern France. Previous studies have identified the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) as drivers of European hydrology. The current research applied the singular value decomposition (SVD) statistical method to AO sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) to identify the primary AO climatic drivers of the Adour-Garonne basin streamflow. Annual and seasonal streamflow volumes were selected as the hydrological response, while average AO SSTs were calculated for three different 6-month averages (January–June, April–September and July–December) for the year preceding streamflow. The results identified a region along the Equator as the probable driver of the basin streamflow. Additional analysis evaluated the influence of the AMO and NAO on Adour-Garonne basin streamflow.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor H. Aksoy

Citation Oubeidillah, A.A., Tootle, G. and Anderson, S.-R., 2012. Atlantic Ocean sea-surface temperatures and regional streamflow variability in the Adour-Garonne basin, France. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (3), 496–506.