True or False: The probability of a certain discharge occurring in any given year can change over time.

True or False: The probability of a certain discharge occurring in any given year can change over time.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Cannot be determined
• D. Not enough data

Answer: (A)

Discharge isn’t governed by a fixed, unchanging rule in the real world. The amount of water flowing in a stream in any given year depends on weather patterns, precipitation amounts, snowmelt timing, soil moisture, and even human factors like dams and land use. Those driving conditions change over time—from year to year and across decades due to natural climate variability and long-term trends like climate change. As these conditions shift, the statistical distribution of discharge values shifts too, so the likelihood of hitting a particular discharge in a given year can go up or down. If the climate were perfectly steady with no changes, the probability would stay the same, but in reality it can change over time.

Discharge isn’t governed by a fixed, unchanging rule in the real world. The amount of water flowing in a stream in any given year depends on weather patterns, precipitation amounts, snowmelt timing, soil moisture, and even human factors like dams and land use. Those driving conditions change over time—from year to year and across decades due to natural climate variability and long-term trends like climate change. As these conditions shift, the statistical distribution of discharge values shifts too, so the likelihood of hitting a particular discharge in a given year can go up or down. If the climate were perfectly steady with no changes, the probability would stay the same, but in reality it can change over time.