Seven centuries of reconstructed Brahmaputra River discharge demonstrate underestimated high discharge and flood hazard frequency

Mukund P. Rao; Edward R. Cook; Benjamin I. Cook; Rosanne D. D’Arrigo; Jonathan G. Palmer; Upmanu Lall; Connie A. Woodhouse; Brendan M. Buckley; Maria Uriarte; Daniel A. Bishop; Jun Jian; Peter J. Webster

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19795-6

Nature Communications (Nov 2020)

Seven centuries of reconstructed Brahmaputra River discharge demonstrate underestimated high discharge and flood hazard frequency

Mukund P. Rao,
Edward R. Cook,
Benjamin I. Cook,
Rosanne D. D’Arrigo,
Jonathan G. Palmer,
Upmanu Lall,
Connie A. Woodhouse,
Brendan M. Buckley,
Maria Uriarte,
Daniel A. Bishop,
Jun Jian,
Peter J. Webster

Affiliations

Mukund P. Rao: Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Edward R. Cook: Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Benjamin I. Cook: NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Rosanne D. D’Arrigo: Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Jonathan G. Palmer: ARC Centre of Excellence in Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
Upmanu Lall: Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University
Connie A. Woodhouse: School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona
Brendan M. Buckley: Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Maria Uriarte: Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University
Daniel A. Bishop: Tree Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
Jun Jian: Dalian Maritime University
Peter J. Webster: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19795-6
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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This study investigates flood hazards of the Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh. Based on a tree ring reconstruction of seasonal river discharge, climate modelling, and historic documentation of flood events, the authors suggest flood hazard risk is underestimated by ~24–38% in the present day compared to the past 700 years.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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