Examining the Response of River Discharge to Accelerated Hydrologic Cycle in High Latitude Eurasia

Global warming causes an increase in evapotranspiration from the surface, leading to an acceleration of the hydrologic cycle on a global scale. This is especially occurring in the Arctic over high-latitude regions of northern Eurasia. The change of Arctic climate leads to rapid sea ice loss, increased streamflow in rivers, early onset snowmelt and increased precipitation. More discharge from rivers draining into the Arctic Ocean means a stark change in the salinity of the ocean as well. Utilizing Arctic River station discharge data and surface air temperature data the recent and historical changes in Arctic River flow are examined. Using multivariate statistical analyses and programming software, the time of year/season that has become the most active season in the 21st century and exhibits clear signals of accelerated hydrologic cycle are shown in most detail. Discussed are also the causal mechanisms of enhanced streamflow and the effects of such rapid discharge from freshwater rivers to the Arctic Ocean.