Scientists Find Gaps In Global River And Stream Monitoring

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New research co-authored by a Texas A&M scientist analyzed placement of stream gauges that inform important global water datasets.

A new study has identified gaps in data on streams around the world, highlighting potential priorities for future installation of monitoring tools.

The analysis focused on stream gauges included in two global datasets, including the large and widely used Global Streamflow Indices and Metadata Archive, a key source of information for hydrology research. Stream gauges are instruments that record the volume of water flowing through a specific location on a river or stream.

To assess whether certain types of waterways were overrepresented in these global gauging networks, scientists combined data on the placement of over 32,000 gauges in the datasets with information on the characteristics of streams and their surrounding landscapes.

George Allen, assistant professor in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University, co-led the research, published today in Nature Sustainability.

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