Synchronization of global peak river discharge since the 1980s

Yixin Yang, Long Yang (), Gabriele Villarini, Fang Zhao, Danqing Huang, Gabriel A. Vecchi, Qiang Wang, Yida Sun and Fuqiang Tian
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Yixin Yang: Nanjing University
Long Yang: Nanjing University
Gabriele Villarini: Princeton University
Fang Zhao: East China Normal University
Danqing Huang: Nanjing University
Gabriel A. Vecchi: Princeton University
Qiang Wang: Ningbo University
Yida Sun: Tsinghua University
Fuqiang Tian: Tsinghua University

Nature Climate Change, 2025, vol. 15, issue 10, 1084-1090

Abstract: Abstract Riverine floods that occur simultaneously over multiple regions often lead to amplified societal and environmental impacts compared to individual events. However, the pattern and mechanisms governing the global interconnection of peak river discharge across spatially distant and proximate locations remain largely unexplored. Here, on the basis of a global annual peak discharge database from 4,407 observational hydrometric stations, we identify hubs for remotely linked discharge peaks spanning thousands of kilometres. We show increasing trends in the number of remotely linked watersheds and the total drainage area, pointing to amplified synchronization of global peak river discharge since the 1980s. Ocean–atmosphere oscillations, through the perturbation of both temperature and precipitation anomalies, dictate the global coupling pattern and temporal evolution of discharge peaks. Our findings highlight an emergent profile of global peak river flow in a warming climate that can benefit coordinated flood risk management.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02427-6

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