Eebo et al. (2026) Investigating catchment predictors of the fraction of young water variability in streamflow in mesoscale Precambrian Shield catchments in Northeastern Ontario, Canada

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-17
• Authors: Festus Olusola Eebo, April Lynda James, Colin P. R. McCarter, Arghavan Tafvizi
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136039

Research Groups

• Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto
• Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Short Summary

This study investigates the streamflow generation processes in Precambrian Shield catchments by estimating the fraction of young water (Fyw) and damping ratios (DR) using isotope records from 16 catchments. The results highlight the importance of wetlands in playing different hydrological roles at a mesoscale.

Objective

• Investigate the streamflow generation processes in Precambrian Shield catchments, particularly the role of young water and damping ratios.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Mesoscale (catchment size ranging from 27 km² to 6,919 km²)
• Temporal Scale: Five years of modelled precipitation isotope records and 3 to 5 years of streamflow isotope records

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Isotopic models for estimating Fyw and DR
• Data sources: Modelled precipitation isotope (δ18O) records from five years, streamflow isotope (δ18O) records from three to five years

Main Results

• The Fyw varied between 16 % and 66 %, with no significant difference between unweighted and flow-weighted estimates.
• Landscape indices explained 70.1 % of total variance in Fyw, with median topographic wetness index (TWI), fen + marsh area, and mixedwood forest areas being positively correlated with Fyw.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the hydrological roles of wetlands at a mesoscale and Precambrian shield landscape, which are underrepresented in regional water management.
• The results highlight the importance of considering the spatial variability of catchment characteristics when managing water resources.

Funding

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Citation

@article{Eebo2026Investigating,
  author = {Eebo, Festus Olusola and James, April Lynda and McCarter, Colin P. R. and Tafvizi, Arghavan},
  title = {Investigating catchment predictors of the fraction of young water variability in streamflow in mesoscale Precambrian Shield catchments in Northeastern Ontario, Canada},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136039},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136039}
}