Key challenges facing the application of the conductivity mass balance method: a case study of the Mississippi River basin

Abstract

Abstract. The conductivity mass balance (CMB) method has a long history of application to baseflow separation studies. The CMB method uses site-specific and widely available discharge and specific conductance data. However, certain aspects of the method remain unstandardized, including the determination of the applicability of this method for a specific area, minimum data requirements for baseflow separation and the most accurate parameter calculation method. This study collected and analyzed stream discharge and water conductivity data for over 200 stream sites at large spatial (2.77 to 2 915 834 km2 watersheds) and temporal (up to 56 years) scales in the Mississippi River basin. The suitability criteria and key factors influencing the applicability of the CMB method were identified based on an analysis of the spatial distribution of the inverse correlation coefficient between stream discharge and conductivity and the rationality of baseflow separation results. Sensitivity analysis, uncertainty assessment and T test were used to identify the parameter the method was most sensitive to, and the uncertainties of baseflow separation results obtained from different parameter determination methods and various sampling durations were compared. The results indicated that the inverse correlation coefficient between discharge and conductivity can be used to quantitatively determine the applicability of the CMB method, while the CMB method is more applicable in tributaries, headwater reaches, high altitudes and regions with little influence from anthropogenic activities. A minimum of 6-month discharge and conductivity data was found to provide reliable parameters for the CMB method with acceptable errors, and it is recommended that the parameters SCRO and SCBF be determined by the 1st percentile and dynamic 99th percentile methods, respectively. The results of this study can provide an important basis for the standardized treatment of key problems in the application of the CMB.