Muste et al. (2026) A Hysteresis‐Based Framework for Evaluating and Selecting Streamflow Monitoring Approaches Under Unsteady Gradually Varied Flow Conditions

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

Identification

• Journal: Water Resources Research
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-01
• Authors: Marian Muste, Kyeongdong Kim, Dongsu Kim, I. Demir
• DOI: 10.1029/2026wr043867

Research Groups

• United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• [Other research groups or institutions involved in the study, if specified]

Short Summary

This paper introduces a hysteresis-centric performance metric to evaluate departures between traditional stage-discharge rating curves and alternative methods under unsteady gradually varied flow conditions. The framework is applied to three USGS gaging stations, providing practical guidance for monitoring-system selection.

Objective

• Investigate the limitations of traditional stage-discharge rating curves in representing spatiotemporal complexity of unsteady gradually varied flows (UGVFs)
• Develop a hysteresis-centric performance metric to evaluate alternative methods under UGVF conditions

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Continental (USA) with three USGS gaging stations spanning diverse hydro-geomorphic settings
• Temporal Scale: Long-term monitoring data (not specified)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned, but traditional stage-discharge rating curves and alternative methods (HQRC corrections and multivariable methods)
• Data sources: USGS gaging stations with long-term monitoring data

Main Results

• The hysteresis-centric performance metric captures departures between bivariate relationships obtained using HQRC correction and multivariable methods and those derived from conventional HQRC ratings.
• Results provide practical guidance for evaluating and selecting alternative monitoring methods in relation to dominant flood-wave behavior (kinematic vs. non-kinematic).

Contributions

• Original value of the article lies in introducing a hysteresis-centric performance metric that addresses the evaluation gap of traditional stage-discharge rating curves under UGVF conditions.
• The framework provides practical guidance for monitoring-system selection, contributing to improved confidence in streamflow estimates.

Funding

• This research was not funded by any specific projects or programs.

Citation

@article{Muste2026HysteresisBased,
  author = {Muste, Marian and Kim, Kyeongdong and Kim, Dongsu and Demir, I.},
  title = {A Hysteresis‐Based Framework for Evaluating and Selecting Streamflow Monitoring Approaches Under Unsteady Gradually Varied Flow Conditions},
  journal = {Water Resources Research},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026wr043867},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026wr043867}
}