Rusjan et al. (2026) Investigating streamflow dynamics in heterogeneous catchments through sensitivity function analysis

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-11
• Authors: Simon Rusjan, Klaudija Lebar, Mojca Šraj
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136409

Research Groups

• University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Jamova 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Short Summary

This study investigates the streamflow recession behavior within the Vipava River catchment in southwestern Slovenia, comparing karst spring-fed upper Vipava river and torrential Branica stream draining flysch areas. The results highlight the information content of discharge recession data for identifying spatial heterogeneity and distinct flow mechanisms in catchments with different storage characteristics.

Objective

• Investigate the sensitivity function analysis to discern discrepancies in hydrological response under varying antecedent conditions in heterogeneous catchments

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Local, regional (Vipava River catchment)
• Temporal Scale: Long-term daily discharge data (1960-2022)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Sensitivity function analysis based on Kirchner's (2009) framework
• Data sources: Long-term daily discharge data from Vipava river karst spring and Branica stream

Main Results

• The sensitivity functions for the Vipava River karst spring and Branica stream show distinct differences in their shapes, with the Vipava River's regression curve being more curved downward.
• The recession rates of the Vipava River are reduced during high-flow conditions, indicating a slow emptying of the underground karst storage.
• The Branica stream's recession rates are nearly linear, expressing a relatively steady increase in recession rates with discharge.

Contributions

• This study introduces an innovative approach that leverages catchment sensitivity functions for hydrologically contrasting catchments to analyze the expected hydrological responses under a wide range of antecedent conditions.
• The results highlight the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity and distinct flow mechanisms in heterogeneous catchments when analyzing streamflow recession behavior.

Funding

• Not specified

Citation

@article{Rusjan2026Investigating,
  author = {Rusjan, Simon and Lebar, Klaudija and Šraj, Mojca},
  title = {Investigating streamflow dynamics in heterogeneous catchments through sensitivity function analysis},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136409},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.136409}
}