George et al. (2026) Long-Term Air–Water Temperature Coupling and Urbanization Effects on Stream Water Temperature in Two Adjacent Watersheds in North Central Texas

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

Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-08
• Authors: M. T. George, Feifei Pan
• DOI: 10.3390/w18161937

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study analyzed air temperature (AT) and water temperature (WT) relationships in two Texas watersheds with contrasting urbanization levels from 2012 to 2021, finding that while atmospheric conditions drive annual trends, urbanization increases mean water temperatures and alters thermal timing.

Objective

• To investigate how urbanization modifies the relationship between air temperature (AT) and water temperature (WT) across annual, monthly, and diurnal timescales.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Two adjacent, relatively flat watersheds in North Central Texas: Doe Branch (urbanized) and Little Elm Creek (less urbanized).
• Temporal Scale: 2012–2021 (analyzed at annual, monthly, and diurnal scales).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Single harmonic analysis (to characterize mean temperature, amplitude, and phase) and statistical analyses (for seasonal/daily variability and peak timing).
• Data sources: Air temperature (AT) and water temperature (WT) observations.

Main Results

• Annual Scale: Strong correlation between AT and WT (r = 0.85–0.94, p < 0.01), indicating atmospheric dominance.
• Urbanization Impact: The urbanized site (Doe Branch) exhibited higher annual mean WTs, delayed seasonal peak WTs, and reduced annual temperature ranges compared to the less urbanized site (Little Elm Creek).
• Diurnal Scale: Daily mean WT remained strongly coupled with daily mean AT, but daily temperature range and peak timing showed weaker relationships.
• Short-term Dynamics: Doe Branch showed greater variability in peak WT timing, suggesting influence from urban watershed characteristics beyond atmospheric forcing.

Contributions

• Demonstrates that while atmospheric conditions are the primary driver of annual stream temperatures, urbanization significantly modifies thermal regimes by increasing mean temperatures and altering the timing and range of thermal peaks.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{George2026LongTerm,
  author = {George, M. T. and Pan, Feifei},
  title = {Long-Term Air–Water Temperature Coupling and Urbanization Effects on Stream Water Temperature in Two Adjacent Watersheds in North Central Texas},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/w18161937},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w18161937}
}