Hydrological regimes

Hydrologic regimes / monthly river flows

Switzerland shows different climate regimes and a high number of hydrological regimes. The hydrologic regimes are described in the hydrological atlas and can also be visualized here: map.geo.admin.ch. ATTENTION: the hydrological regime names are mixed up for the jurassien regimes 11 and 12 (still on 18 Aug 2021), the names are correct, the numbers are inverted; for the correct names, see this Atlas pdf (large file): 11. pluvial jurassien, 12. nivo-pluvial jurassien

• A vector data set called MQ-GWN-CH on the distribution of hydrological regimes along the river reaches is available here (direct download of data table).
• A description (in french or german only) of how to obtain these regimes were obtained via discharge classification is given available there. 
• A simulated raster data set called MQ-CH, of simulated mean monthly discharges is available here. Corresponding future scenarios are also available (here). This is the WSL data set that could previously be ordered from M. Zappa WSL.

Jérôme Dujardin (CRYOS, EPFL) shares his code that uses the above data to estimate monthly river flows and hydrological regimes at any location within Switzerland, see zip file.

Important: the above data sets come with some explanation, partly not in English. At the best of my understanding

• The raster data set contains monthly discharges for entire Switzerland, obtained from PREVAH simulations and some adjustment to observed data (optimized data set)
• A corresponding vector (catchment) data set can be obtained by connecting the vector set tables "abfluesse" (discharges) to "basisgeometrie" (containing the catchments) via the attribute TEILEZGNR, can be used to generate maps with regime types
• However: the above two sets should probably not be used to generate some average discharge for large catchments since their discharge is usually influenced by water resources management; use observed data instead
• The vector data set contains a EZGG_MQ data set with the river network and the corresponding hydrological regime for catchments up to 500 km2.

Climatic regimes

I am not aware of a good resource on the climatic regimes in Switzerland. The terminology and climate division that is used by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is explained here,