A hybrid machine learning approach to unravel monsoon variability and meteorological dynamics of Pakistan's 2010 and 2022 historic floods

Study region: Pakistan. Study focus: While large-scale climatic conditions have been studied, localized meteorological dynamics and their role in flooding are not fully understood. This study examined the factors associated with the flood events of 2010 and 2022. The research employed Random Forest...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sana Nazli, Jiahong Liu, Tianxu Song, Shan-e-hyder Soomro, Haibin Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825003301
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Summary:Study region: Pakistan. Study focus: While large-scale climatic conditions have been studied, localized meteorological dynamics and their role in flooding are not fully understood. This study examined the factors associated with the flood events of 2010 and 2022. The research employed Random Forest Regression (RFR) to evaluate how key climate variables influence different pressure levels, achieving notable predictive accuracy for both years (2010: R² = 0.72, MAE = 0.29, RMSE = 0.41; 2022: R² = 0.68, MAE = 0.24, RMSE = 0.36). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to simplify the data and highlight important components to enhance the understanding of atmospheric variability. Subsequently, K-means clustering classified monsoon regimes into Active and Break phases, assisting in recognizing time-based patterns in the monsoon cycle. New hydrological insights for the region: The study presented new perspectives on the localized atmospheric dynamics affecting flood events, even under comparable large-scale climatic conditions. It highlighted the influence of specific meteorological variables such as moisture flux and jet stream patterns. These insights are crucial for refining flood forecasting models, improving regional flood management practices, and providing actionable information to policymakers regarding climate change.
ISSN:2214-5818