Satellite-based Global-ocean Mass Balance Estimates of Interannual Variability and Emerging Trends in Continental Freshwater Discharge

Tajdarul H. Syed, James S. Famiglietti, Don P. Chambers, Josh K. Willis, Kyle Hilburn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Freshwater discharge from the continents is a key component of Earth’s water cycle that sustains human life and ecosystem health. Surprisingly, owing to a number of socioeconomic and political obstacles, a comprehensive global river discharge observing system does not yet exist. Here we use 13 years (1994–2006) of satellite precipitation, evaporation, and sea level data in an ocean mass balance to estimate freshwater discharge into the global ocean. Results indicate that global freshwater discharge averaged 36,055 km 3 /y for the study period while exhibiting significant interannual variability driven primarily by El Niño Southern Oscillation cycles. The method described here can ultimately be used to estimate long-term global discharge trends as the records of sea level rise and ocean temperature lengthen. For the relatively short 13-year period studied here, global discharge increased by 540 km 3 /y 2 , which was largely attributed to an increase of global-ocean evaporation (768 km 3 /y 2 ). Sustained growth of these flux rates into long-term trends would provide evidence for increasing intensity of the hydrologic cycle.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalPNAS
Volume107
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1 2010

Keywords

  • climate
  • global water cycle
  • hydrology
  • remote sensing
  • observations

Disciplines

  • Life Sciences
  • Marine Biology

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