Overview
R-ArcticNet provides a compilation of river discharge data across the entire pan-Arctic domain. This includes all major river basins of Canada draining to the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Strait, and Hudson Bay. Data are based on in-situ observations by hydrometric networks in Canada, the USA, Russia and other circumpolar countries. In Canada, data are sourced from the Water Survey of Canada and ingested into a geo-referenced platform facilitating identification of sites of interest and data downloads. Time series can be downloaded at the monthly or annual time scales in units of m3 s-1 or mm. Temporal coverage varies across sites with optimal coverage between 1960 and 1990.
The geo-referenced platform allows users to easily obtain site-specific information including coordinates and identification number of the hydrometric gauge, drainage area, and years of data availability. Hydrographs of the mean monthly discharge and time series graphs of monthly and total annual discharge are also provided. Summary statistics (mean, standard deviation, extremes and coefficient of variation) in monthly and annual river discharge are also tabulated.
Provider's contact information
R-ArcticNet (v4.0) Project Page: https://www.r-arcticnet.sr.unh.edu/v4.0/index.html
Licensing
Licence: N/A
Variable name and units:
River discharge [m3 s-1] or river runoff [mm]
Spatial coverage and resolution:
- Pan-Arctic domain including the Yukon River and Hudson Bay drainage basins
- Point-scale hydrological data representative of the watershed-scale runoff
- Number of sites in major Canadian (and American) river basins draining to the Arctic Ocean: Mackenzie – 500, Nelson – 1319, northwest Hudson Bay – 99, south and east Hudson Bay – 183, and Yukon – 96.
Temporal coverage and resolution:
Temporal coverage varies depending on site. The earliest data are prior to 1900 (for four Canadian sites), but generally from the early to mid-20th century and most time series end by 2000. Data are available at monthly or annual time scales only.
Information about related datasets
Three prior versions of the database were released. Primary data are sourced from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Water Survey of Canada (WSC), and the State Hydrological Institute (SHI) of Russia, among other sources.
Limitations and strengths for application in Northern Canada
Observations of discharge at 2164 hydrometric gauges across northern Canada spanning the early to late 20th century. Data readily available online in a geo-referenced platform and time series can easily be downloaded in .txt format. Limitations with the dataset include no data for the 21st century (aside from 2000) and limited spatial coverage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago among other regions. Many sites include gaps and time series are relatively short (e.g., a few years only) for some sites.
References to documents describing the methodology or/and the dataset
General description at: https://www.r-arcticnet.sr.unh.edu/v4.0/abstract.html
Lammers, R. B., A. I. Shiklomanov, C. J. Vörösmarty, B. M. Fekete, and B. J. Peterson, 2001: Assessment of contemporary Arctic river runoff based on observational discharge records. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 106, 3321-3334.
Link to download the data and format of data: