ESSDD Earth System Science Data Discussions ESSDD Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss. 1866-3591 Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/essd-2026-281 High-Resolution Karst Spring Discharge Datasets of the Euro-Mediterranean Mountain Regions Çallı Süleyman Selim https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1105-7737 1 Özdemir Çallı Kübra https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0649-6687 2 Akdim Brahim 3 Arfib Bruno https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9345-6813 4 Benderev Aleksey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3729-6135 5 Beranger Sandra https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5275-2701 6 Burg Avi 7 Can Onur 1 8 Charlier Jean-Baptiste https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1268-8848 9 10 Çelik Mehmet 1 Çetin Arda Melih 1 8 Chemseddine Fehdi 11 Deliyska Miroslava 12 Di Matteo Lucio https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3352-3858 13 Dionigi Marco https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2949-7175 14 Eftimi Romeo 15 Eybl Jutta 16 Fronzi Davide https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6585-3843 17 Goldscheider Nico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-5001 18 Gökkaya Ergin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9808-6708 19 Jodar Jorge https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8708-0303 20 Jourde Herve https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7124-4879 21 Kaminsky Eva 22 Katsanou Konstantina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2880-6244 23 Kavousi Alireza 24 Kaya Melike 8 25 Labat David 26 Liesch Tanja https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8648-5333 18 Malik Peter 27 Massari Christian https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0983-1276 13 Mayaud Cyril https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4739-599X 28 29 Mazzilli Naomi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9145-5160 30 Pracny Pavel 31 Ravbar Natasa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0160-1460 28 29 Rispal Nathan 4 32 Seelig Simon https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2740-7260 33 Sivelle Vianney https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9776-2612 21 Steinmann Marc 34 Valigi Daniela 12 Winkler Gerfried https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1742-1242 33 Yahşi Ahmet Kemal 8 Hartmann Andreas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0407-742X 2 Ankara University Faculty of Engineering, Geological Engineering Department, 06830, Ankara, Türkiye Institute of Groundwater Management, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany Université Privée de Fez, Fez, Morocco Aix Marseille Univ., CNRS, IRD, INRAE, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl.24, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières-Délégation Régionale Occitanie-Sitede Toulouse, 31520 Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yeshayahu Leibowitz St., Jerusalem, 9692100, Israel Ankara University Karst Research Community (UNIKARST), 06830, Ankara, Türkiye BRGM – French Geological Survey, F-34000 Montpellier, France G-EAU, Univ Montpellier, AgroParisTech, BRGM, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France University of Tebessa, Department of Earth Sciences and Univers , 12002, Tebessa, Algeria Climate, Atmosphere and Water Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsarigradsko shose Bld. 66, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria University of Perugia, Department of Physics and Geology, Via Pascoli snc, 06123, Perugia, Italy Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection (IRPI), National Research Council (CNR), Perugia, Italy Independent Researcher, Geological Society of Albania, Rr. Rr. Çollaku, pll. Eurocol nr. 43, 1001, Tirana, Albania Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management, Marxergasse 2, 1030 Vienna, Austria Università Politecnica delle Marche, Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131, Ancona, Italy Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Applied Geosciences, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany Department of Geography, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240 Niğde, Türkiye Geological Survey of Spain – Spanish Research Council (IGME-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain Hydrosciences Montpellier (HSM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France Karst and Cave Group, Geological Paleontological Department, Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria Department of Water Resources and Ecosystems, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands State Authority for Mining, Energy, and Geology in Lower Saxony (LBEG), 30655, Hannover, Germany Ankara University Faculty of Engineering, Computer Engineering Department, 06830, Ankara, Türkiye University of Toulouse – Lab Geosciences Environnement Toulouse UMR CNRS-IRD-UT-CNES 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France Štátny geologický ústav Dionýza Štúra – Geological Survey of Slovak Republic, Mlynská dolina 1, 817 04 Bratislava 11, Slovakia ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute, Titov trg 2, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia UNESCO Chair on Karst Education, University of Nova Gorica, Glavni trg 8, 5271 Vipava, Slovenia UMR 1114 EMMAH (AU-INRAE), Université d’Avignon, Avignon 84000, France Masaryk University Department of Geological Sciences, Brno, Czechia Univ. Côte d'Azur, Polytech'Lab, UPR 7498, Sophia- Antipolis, France Department of Earth Sciences, NAWI Graz Geocenter, University of Graz, Heinrichstraße 26, 8010 Graz, Austria University Marie and Louis Pasteur, Chrono-environnement, UMR CNRS 6249, 25000 Besançon, France 20 05 2026 2026 1 28 Copyright: © 2026 Süleyman Selim Çallı et al. 2026 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This article is available from https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2026-281/ The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2026-281/essd-2026-281.pdf

Karst groundwater systems exhibit heterogeneity in recharge, circulation, and discharge, occupying a unique position within groundwater systems. This complexity facilitates rapid responses via the preferential flow routes, making karst systems vulnerable to climatic and anthropogenic pressures. High-altitude karst aquifers are particularly susceptible to shifting climate patterns – specifically rising temperatures, declining snow cover, and increasingly less and inconsistent precipitation – within the Mediterranean climate hotspot. Effective sustainable management of these groundwater systems require robust hydrological modelling; however, the application of such models is often constrained by the availability of high-quality, reliable datasets. This study presents a comprehensive collection of high-resolution karst spring discharge data from major Euro-Mediterranean mountain belts, including the Atlas, Betics, Pyrenees, Jura, Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, Dinarides, Hellenides, Balkans, Taurus, Levant, and Zagros. We compiled a total of 118 discharge time series specifically curated for hydrological modelling. Geographically, the dataset is led by the Alps (approx. 42%), followed by the Dinarides (approx. 10%), with the Apennines, Carpathians, and Zagros each contributing approx. 7%. The Levant and Taurus account for approx. 5% each, while the remaining regions (Atlas, Balkans, Betics, Hellenides, Jura, and Pyrenees) represent less than 5% each. In terms of temporal resolution, 92% of the records are daily, while hourly and monthly data each comprise 4%. The average record length is 19 years, which is led by a 99-year series from Unica Spring, Slovenia (1926–2025). Regional analysis indicates that the Alps, Apennines, Balkans, Betics, Dinarides, Jura, and Levant maintain average record lengths exceeding 20 years, whereas the Atlas, Carpathians, Taurus, and Zagros range between 10 and 20 years. The shortest average records were observed in the Hellenides and Pyrenees (7 and 8 years, respectively), which is still adequate for hydrological modelling applications.

 Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu Project No: 125Y214 LIFE programme LIFE22/101104957 Instituto Geológico y Minero de España IGME-CSIC INTRAMURAL project 202530E207