Chinese researchers release Tianshan watershed streamflow dataset

URUMQI -- Chinese researchers have released a streamflow dataset of Tianshan Mountains watersheds, the key source region of Central Asian rivers.

The study, led by researchers from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in the journal Scientific Data.

The dataset compiles daily streamflow data for 56 watersheds and monthly data for 89 watersheds in the Tianshan Mountains. The researchers reconstructed streamflow observations by integrating data from both domestic and international monitoring stations.

The study revealed an overall increasing trend in Tianshan streamflow, which was particularly prominent between 1990 and 2019. Spatially, it showed higher streamflow in the west and south, and lower streamflow in the east and north.

Due to scarcity of data and complex hydrological conditions in the Tianshan region, long-term and complete streamflow data are still lacking, said Li Shuai, first author of this study.

"This is the first comprehensive and long-term streamflow modeling and data reconstruction effort at the watershed scale in the Tianshan Mountains," said Li.

The dataset fills the gap in the availability of comprehensive streamflow data for smaller basins in the Tianshan Mountains, and provides essential data for managing water resources and assessing the impact of climate change in the region, according to the study.