title: Connection between El Niño-Southern Oscillation events and river nitrate concentrations in a Mediterranean river.
abstract: The causes of interannual nitrate variability in rivers remain uncertain, but extreme climatic events have been suggested as drivers of large nitrate inputs to rivers. Based on a 24-year data set (1983-2006), we suggest that El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can affect nitrate behavior in a seasonal extra-tropical stream, the Llobregat (NE Iberian Peninsula), located thousands of kilometers away from the ENSO oscillating system via atmospheric teleconnections. Two commonly used indices, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and the self-calibrating-Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) showed highly significant correlations with nitrate concentrations, which recurrently increased during La Niña phases, coinciding with severe droughts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Urbana IL 61801
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vegas-Vilarrúbia
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigró
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giralt
mesh_terms: D059000:El Nino-Southern Oscillation; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical