Stream discharge, within hydrologic and fluvial geomorphology topics, refers to the volumetric flow rate of water moving through a stream or river cross section per unit time, typically expressed in cubic meters per second (m³/s). It is quantified as the product of cross-sectional area and mean flow velocity, and is highly variable in space and time due to precipitation, evapotranspiration, groundwater inputs, and human regulation. Stream discharge governs sediment transport capacity, channel morphology, nutrient and contaminant fluxes, and aquatic habitat conditions, and is a central variable in watershed modeling, flood frequency analysis, and water-resources management.
Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have used long-term data from the Spree River to discover that aquatic plants can compensate for declining water levels in a drier climate. ...
Environment
Feb 22, 2026
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Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest.
Environment
Jul 11, 2025
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Peak water flows in parts of India's largest river basin have been falling by more than one-sixth every decade, according to a study published in npj Natural Hazards that highlights a similar trend across the country, impacting ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 7, 2025
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A recent study led by Prof. Chen Yaning from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has released the Tianshan watershed streamflow (TSWS) dataset (1901–2019). The dataset ...
Earth Sciences
May 28, 2025
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