Gusarov et al. (2026) Tracking Hydrological Regime Shifts Through the Anthropocene: The Samara River, Southern Cis-Urals

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-08
• Authors: Artyom V. Gusarov, Achim A. Beylich
• DOI: 10.3390/hydrology13090241

Research Groups

• Laboratory of Hydrology and Water Resources, Samara University
• Department of Geosciences, Moscow State University

Short Summary

This study examines hydrological transformations in the Samara River basin driven by climate change and land-use shifts, revealing profound changes in intra-annual runoff structure and variability.

Objective

• Investigate the impact of climate change and historical land-use shifts on river runoff in the extreme southeastern region of European Russia

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the gauged area of 22,800 km2 within the Samara River basin.
• Temporal Scale: The analysis spans a period of 89 years (1933–2022) with two distinct baseline periods: 1933–1960 and 1991–2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Standard statistical criteria combined with specialized hydromathematical procedures.
• Data sources: Long-term, station-based gauge observations of monthly river runoff.

Main Results

• Intra-annual structure underwent profound transformations, with most months exhibiting upward runoff trends.
• The amplitude between hydrologically contrasting months decreased by a factor of 2.5 to 3 from the historical baseline period to the modern baseline period.
• Intra-annual variability coefficient decreased by approximately one-third since 1989, especially during low-flow years.

Contributions

• This study advances the understanding of regional river runoff transformations in the Anthropocene and provides an objective basis for long-term water balance forecasting in the Southern Cis-Urals.

Funding

• No specific funding projects or programs are mentioned in the paper.

Citation

@article{Gusarov2026Tracking,
  author = {Gusarov, Artyom V. and Beylich, Achim A.},
  title = {Tracking Hydrological Regime Shifts Through the Anthropocene: The Samara River, Southern Cis-Urals},
  journal = {Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/hydrology13090241},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology13090241}
}