October 3, 2022
A new open-access paper has been published today on "Increasing heatwave frequency in streams and rivers of the United States" in the journal Limnology and Oceanography Letters (link here). This work was led by Spencer Tassone, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Environmental Sciences.
This study used geographically extensive, multi-decadal continuous water temperature data to provide an assessment of heatwaves for U.S. rivers. Riverine heatwave frequency increased, with a doubling in the mean number of heatwave days per year from 11 in 1996 to 25 in 2021. Heatwaves were associated with summer and fall seasons, mid- to high-order streams, low discharge conditions, and position in the landscape relative to a reservoir.