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The hydrology of the humid tropics

Nature Climate Change volume 2, pages 655–662 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Hydrological processes in the humid tropics differ from other regions in having greater energy inputs and faster rates of change, including human-induced change. Human influences on population growth, land use and climate change will profoundly influence tropical hydrology, yet understanding of key hydrological interactions is limited. We propose that efforts to collect tropical data should explicitly emphasize characterizing moisture and energy fluxes from below the ground surface into the atmosphere. Research needs to chiefly involve field-based characterizations and modelling of moisture cycling and catchment processes, as well as long-term data acquisition and organization.

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Figure 1: Schematic view of the tropical hydrological cycle with water fluxes represented by dashed lines.
Figure 2: Average discharge per unit drainage area as a function of latitude at the river mouth, showing differences between tropical and temperate latitudes.
Figure 3: Example of how evapotranspiration rates in disturbed rainforests in the dry season are related to land-use history.
Figure 4: Schematic of local and regional hydrological response to deforestation.
Figure 5: Number of precipitation stations in the Global Historical Climatology Network data set for each year.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for the March 2011 tropical hydrology workshop that formed the starting point for this paper was provided by the US Army Research Office. We thank H. Rogers for hosting the workshop, and J. DeLay, C. Downer, H. Elsenbeer, E. McDonald and S. Turnbull for discussions during the workshop.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 80523-1482, Colorado, USA

    Ellen Wohl

  2. Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering, 2457 CIEMAS, Durham, 27708, North Carolina, USA

    Ana Barros

  3. Department of Geography, University of Kansas, 1475 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, 66045, Kansas, USA

    Nathaniel Brunsell

  4. Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    Nick A. Chappell

  5. Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, 02540, Massachusetts, USA

    Michael Coe

  6. Department of Geography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2424 Maile Way, Honolulu, 96822, Hawaii, USA

    Thomas Giambelluca

  7. Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, 19085, Pennsylvania, USA

    Steven Goldsmith

  8. Environmental Sciences Division, ARL Army Research Office, PO Box 12211, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27709-2211, USA

    Russell Harmon

  9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 801 LeRoy Place, MSEC 240, Socorro, 87801, New Mexico, USA

    Jan M. H. Hendrickx

  10. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Hawaii-Hilo, 200 West Kawili Street, Hilo, 96720, Hawaii, USA

    James Juvik

  11. Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331, Oregon, USA

    Jeffrey McDonnell

  12. Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, 3295, University of Wyoming, Laramie, 82071, Wyoming, USA

    Fred Ogden

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Contributions

All authors contributed to writing the synthesis offered in this Review. Individual subtopics covered by each author are: E.W., lead author and fluvial geomorphology and Fig. 2; A.B. and N.B., atmospheric processes; N.B., Fig. 5; N.A.C., J.M. and F.O., hillslope hydrology; M.C., stream hydrology and Fig. 4; T.G. and J.J., land–atmosphere interactions; S.G. and R.H., biogeochemistry; S.G., Fig. 1; J.M.H.H., soil hydrology and remote sensing and Fig. 3.

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Correspondence to Ellen Wohl.

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Wohl, E., Barros, A., Brunsell, N. et al. The hydrology of the humid tropics. Nature Clim Change 2, 655–662 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1556

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