Streamflow Flash Droughts and the Highly Responsive Behaviour of Streamflows to Drying

Streamflow Flash Droughts and the Highly Responsive Behaviour of Streamflows to Drying | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Streamflow Flash Droughts and the Highly Responsive Behaviour of Streamflows to Drying Pallavi Goswami, Ailie Gallant, Ulrike Bende-Michl This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8689725/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study demonstrates the existence of streamflow flash droughts in 148 perennial catchments that represent an array of climatic zones from the tropics to mid-latitudes. Using Australia as a case study region, we show evidence of large losses in streamflow volumes within 5–15 days of flash drought onset. On average, at-risk catchments can experience nearly a 60% reduction in flow during the drought onset period. Rapid and large deficits are agnostic to catchment location, catchment physical characteristics, mean flow volume and antecedent streamflow conditions, though water-limited catchments tend to experience greater absolute reductions in flow than neutral and energy-limited catchments. The identification of streamflow flash droughts across such varied catchment types and locations suggests streamflow flash droughts are a potential risk globally. Earth and environmental sciences/Hydrology Physical sciences/Engineering/Civil engineering rapid-onset drought streamflow flash drought hydrologic response onset antecedent conditions Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SUPPORTINGINFORMATIONGoswamietal2026.pdf Streamflow Flash Droughts and the Highly Responsive Behaviour of Streamflows to Drying Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8689725","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":584093006,"identity":"09a8bddf-1c7f-4098-9238-91ca49213c96","order_by":0,"name":"Pallavi Goswami","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9141-9998","institution":"Monash University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pallavi","middleName":"","lastName":"Goswami","suffix":""},{"id":584093007,"identity":"b56cd4e0-91df-4b40-96b4-09c2699e68a5","order_by":1,"name":"Ailie Gallant","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Monash University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ailie","middleName":"","lastName":"Gallant","suffix":""},{"id":584093008,"identity":"cc725d6d-1b35-4f11-965e-63f588b8e419","order_by":2,"name":"Ulrike Bende-Michl","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Science and Innovation Group – Hydrology Research, Bureau of Meteorology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ulrike","middleName":"","lastName":"Bende-Michl","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-25 02:35:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8689725/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8689725/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102817588,"identity":"ece82d84-c285-49ea-995e-efb6c030d493","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-17 06:26:13","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":7698014,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"MANUSCRIPTGoswamietal2026.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8689725/v1_covered_16f5425b-0379-4759-b4ed-873e2b45aaab.pdf"},{"id":102817583,"identity":"23503094-bb2a-4488-a3fa-f4c029c1fb73","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-17 06:26:05","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":358310,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Streamflow Flash Droughts and the Highly Responsive Behaviour of Streamflows to Drying","description":"","filename":"SUPPORTINGINFORMATIONGoswamietal2026.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8689725/v1/eb3a96e3de67d77d683f8d91.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Streamflow Flash Droughts and the Highly Responsive Behaviour of Streamflows to Drying","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"nature-portfolio","isNatureJournal":true,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Nature Portfolio","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"rapid-onset drought, streamflow flash drought, hydrologic response, onset, antecedent conditions","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8689725/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8689725/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This study demonstrates the existence of streamflow flash droughts in 148 perennial catchments that represent an array of climatic zones from the tropics to mid-latitudes. 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