Droughts, Pluvials, and Wet Season Timing Across the Chao Phraya River Basin: A 254-Year Monthly Reconstruction From Tree Ring Widths and δ18O

Long records of river discharge, reconstructed from tree rings, help us understand how rivers behaved in response to past climates, and place projected climate changes in a broader perspective. NYSEAN Member Dr. Hung Nguyen and his colleagues conducted a study that uses a network of tree ring data to reconstruct monthly river discharge at four key gauging stations a the four main tributaries of the Chao Phraya River in Thailand.

The reconstructions span 254 years (1750–2003) and are the first monthly streamflow reconstructions outside North America that combine ring width and oxygen isotope data that provides a detailed accounting of past droughts, pluvials, and wet season timings to inform water management decisions and policies.