A new study has revealed that our rivers are warming due to reduced water flow and rising atmospheric temperatures, posing major challenges to aquatic life, ecosystems and society.
The study was published in the journal ‘Hydrological Processes’.
Water temperature is an important control for all physical, chemical and biological processes in rivers. This is especially important for organisms that cannot regulate their body temperature, such as fish. River temperature is important for human health and for people’s industrial, domestic and recreational use.
Scientists have identified three primary mechanisms that increase river water temperatures during drought: atmospheric energy input; physical habitat effects (shading and river channel shapes that control flow); And the contribution of various water sources – groundwater cools rivers in summer.
