Drought propagation and the pooling effect in semi-arid catchments: instantaneous coupling and duration amplification in Northwest Algeria
SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, cilt.12, sa.5, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 12 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s40899-026-01406-9
- Dergi Adı: SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Compendex, Geobase, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest)
- Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Understanding how meteorological drought propagates into hydrological drought is crucial for effective management of water resources in semi-arid basins. This study examines drought dynamics and propagation characteristics in the Taria and Sa & iuml;da sub-basins of northwestern Algeria using empirical Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Runoff Index (SRI) calculated by the Gringorten plotting position for a 42-year period (1973-2014). Cross-correlation analysis between SRI-1 and SPI across timescales of 1-24 months shows peak correlations at SPI-1 (r = 0.475 for Oued Taria station and r = 0.463 for Sidi Boubekeur station) occurring at zero lag, demonstrating an instantaneous hydrological response to precipitation deficits, while the moderate correlation strength reflects significant modulation by evapotranspiration and transmission losses. Event-based analysis displays an efficient amplification of drought persistence during propagation, with average meteorological drought durations of 2.02 months (SPI-1 < 0) increasing to 2.94 months for hydrological droughts (SRI-1 < 0), representing a 45% increase in persistence. A record hydrological drought lasting 10 successive months further illustrates the drought pooling effect, where intermittent atmospheric recovery was insufficient to replenish catchment storage. These findings prove that while drought onset is rapid, recovery is delayed, emphasizing the dominant role of catchment memory in amplifying drought impacts. The results provide insights into drought monitoring and early warning in data-sparse, semi-arid basins.