Complex High‐ and Low‐Flow Networks Differ in Their Spatial Correlation Characteristics, Drivers, and Changes

Hydrologic extremes such as floods and droughts are often spatially related, which increases management challenges potential impacts. However, these spatial relationships in high low flows overlooked risk assessments we know little about their differences origins. Here, ask how of both types hydrologic hydro-meteorological drivers differ vary by season. We propose lagged upper- lower-tail correlation a measure extremal dependence for temporally ordered events to build complex networks flows. compare overall, flows, determine networks, map past changes using large-sample data set Central Europe. Our network comparison shows that correlated more strongly over longer distances than high- low-flow strongest spring weakest summer. driver analysis high-flow is most governed precipitation winter evapotranspiration summer while snowmelt fall. Finally, our change connectedness (i.e., the number catchments strong flow correlations with) mostly positive conclude considerable particularly result combination related whose importance varies extreme type