Mapping abrupt streamflow shift in an abrupt climate shift through multiple change point methodologies: Brazil case study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Three change-point methodologies were used to detect changes in the mean value of annual streamflow series and analyse simultaneous changes in large-scale global sea surface temperature (SST) oscillations. To verify the relationship between the variables we used wavelet coherence analysis. A preliminary detection skill test was performed using asynthetic series and Pruned Exact Linear Time (PELT) presented the best results among the methods used (Pettitt test, Bai and Perron algorithm) when combined with a penalty selection via the Changepoints for a Range of Penalties (CROPS) method. However, the use of classical penalty functions resulted in a poor performance of PELT. The three methods showed an extremely high convergence rate (> 90%) for the correct change points and a smaller rate for false positives (< 24%). Changes in the streamflow mean value coincided with phase shift of the low-frequency indices Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), also corroborated by the wavelet results. Most of the changes can be associated with phase shift impacts in the South Atlantic Convergence Zone.