Dependency of summer lake inflows and precipitation on spring SOI

Inflows to South Island, New Zealand lakes deriving from snowmelt are quantified using a water balance approach and are shown to be between 8% and 24% of annual inflow. A snow accumulation index calculated from climatological data using a snowpack simulation model confirms the general pattern of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam) 1998-02, Vol.205 (1), p.66-80
Main Authors: McKerchar, A.I., Pearson, C.P., Fitzharris, B.B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate
Discharge
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Freshwater
Hydrology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
New Zealand
Runoff
Snow
Water balance
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Summary:Inflows to South Island, New Zealand lakes deriving from snowmelt are quantified using a water balance approach and are shown to be between 8% and 24% of annual inflow. A snow accumulation index calculated from climatological data using a snowpack simulation model confirms the general pattern of the year-to-year variability of these estimates. Previous work has shown that summer inflows tend to be relatively low in years when the El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomenon is in a positive phase (i.e. La Ninã). We show that this patter is also evident in records of precipitation around the catchments, particularly where precipitation exceeds 1000 mm/yr. Variance of inflows and precipitation appears to be dependent on the magnitude of the SOI. Snowmelt increases somewhat in La Niña years, and this may relate to a general trend for warmer temperatures in these years. A relative absence of La Niña conditions for 1976–1994 may be partially responsible for a significant increase in mean lake inflows over the period 1978–1994.
ISSN:0022-1694
1879-2707
DOI:10.1016/S0022-1694(97)00144-3