Continuous measurements of rainfall from the Frome Piddle; Pang Lambourn and Tern catchments, recorded between 2002 and 2007. Continuous recording rain gauges were installed at six sites in these catchments to record 15 minute rainfall data for differing periods at the varying sites. The instruments were installed as part of the NERC funded Lowland Catchment Research (LOCAR) Programme to provide comparable baseline rainfall data across the LOCAR catchments. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/3ab4545b-2453-4bdf-9b48-552748632cdd

River water alkalinity, chloride-ion, conductivity, pH and nutrients data from the Frome Piddle; Pang Lambourn and Tern catchments, recorded between 2003 and 2006. River water samples were collected fortnightly at twenty three sites within these catchments and analysed for Alkalinity pH 4.5, Ammonia, Chloride-ion, Conductivity 20 deg C, Nitrate, pH, Phosphorus soluble reactive (SRP), Silicate reactive dissolved (SRD) and Sulphate. The samples were collected as part of the NERC funded Lowland Catchment Research (LOCAR) Programme to provide comparable baseline river water chemistry data across the LOCAR catchments. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/bb600a56-c9cf-4fca-b9be-be3de0039a79

Continuous measurements of meteorological parameters from the Frome Piddle; Pang Lambourn and Tern catchments, recorded between 2002 and 2006. Automatic weather stations were installed at 7 sites in these catchments to record hourly values of soil heat flux, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, solar and net radiation (upward and downward short and long wave), rainfall, soil temperature at 10 and 30 cm, air temperature and wind direction and speed for differing periods at the varying sites. The instruments were installed as part of the NERC funded Lowland Catchment Research (LOCAR) Programme to provide comparable baseline metrological data across the LOCAR catchments. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d55a6607-7da7-4b6e-8b28-f5fbd63884a9

This dataset comprises river centrelines, digitised from OS 1:50,000 mapping. It consists of four components: rivers; canals; surface pipes (man-made channels for transporting water such as aqueducts and leats); and miscellaneous channels (including estuary and lake centre-lines and some underground channels). This dataset is a representation of the river network in Great Britain as a set of line segments, i.e. it does not comprise a geometric network.

1km and 5km gridded Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) data for Great Britain, which is a drought index based on the probability of precipitation for a given accumulation period as defined by McKee et al. (1993). SPI is calculated for different accumulation periods: 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months. Each of these is in turn calculated for each of the twelve calendar months. Note that values in monthly (and for longer accumulation periods also annual) time series of the data therefore are likely to be autocorrelated. The standard period which was used to fit the gamma distribution is 1961-2010. The dataset covers the period from 1961 to 2012. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/94c9eaa3-a178-4de4-8905-dbfab03b69a0

This dataset is part of Integrated Hydrometric Units (IHU) of the UK. Hydrometric Areas are used to organise river flow measurement and hydrometric data collection in the UK. Hydrometric Areas are either integral river catchments having one or more outlets to the sea or tidal estuary, or they may include several contiguous river catchments having topographical similarity but separate tidal outlets. In mainland Britain they are numbered from 1 to 97 in clockwise order around the coast commencing in north east Scotland. The larger islands and groups of islands are numbered from 100-108. Ireland has a unified numbering system from 1 to 40 commencing with the River Foyle catchment and circulating clockwise; not all Irish Hydrometric Areas, however, have an outlet to the coast. Only those Hydrometric Areas covering Great Britain and Northern Ireland are included in this dataset. The boundaries between hydrometric areas correspond to catchment boundaries as digitally-derived from CEH Integrated Hydrological Digital Terrain Model (IHDTM) using a catchment definition program. It should be noticed that the Northern Ireland data are clipped to its political boundary so not every Hydrometric Area in this region is completely represented. The naming and numbering convention for the hydrometric areas in Great Britain was originally defined by the Inland Water Survey Committee (and first published in the Surface Water Year-Book of Great Britain 1936-37). For Northern Ireland the system was developed by a multi-agency working group in the 1970s (and first published in Surface Water: United Kingdom 1971-73. Note that full citations of those two publications are provided as additional information source. This dataset represent the same entities as the IHU Hydrometric Areas of the UK without Coastline, however, the outer boundaries of the units follow coastline published by the Ordnance Survey (Meridian 2), rather than the boundaries of the CEH Integrated Hydrological Digital Terrain Model. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/1957166d-7523-44f4-b279-aa5314163237

1km and 5km gridded Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) data for Great Britain, which is a drought index based on the probability of Climatic Water Balance (CWB) - which is equivalent to the amount of precipitation minus the amount of evapotranspiration - for a given accumulation period as defined by Vicente Serrano et al. (2010). SPEI is calculated for different accumulation periods: 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months. Each of these is in turn calculated for each of the twelve calendar months. Note that values in monthly (and for longer accumulation periods also annual) time series of the data therefore are likely to be autocorrelated. The standard period which was used to fit the generalised logistic distribution is 1961-2010. The dataset covers the period from 1961 to 2012. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d201a2af-568e-4195-bf02-961fb6954c72

Distribution of soil parent materials in the Severn and Wye catchments. These were mapped during the Soil Hydrology Study conducted by JP Bell in 1968-1969: Bell, J.P. (1969). The Soil Hydrology of the Plynlimon Catchments. Institute of Hydrology Report No. 8, Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, UK.

On site measurements of pH, conductivity and temperature for thirteen sites in the Humber catchment and three sites in the Tweed catchment within the period 1994 to 1997 as part of the Land Ocean Interaction Study project (LOIS). Sites were sampled at regular weekly intervals and more intermittently during high flows (on average an extra sampling once a month per site). Samples were obtained using a wide neck PTFE bottle in a plastic covered bottle carrier (lowered from bridges where possible otherwise collected by immersing sample bottle by hand in the water as near the main flow as possible). pH and conductivity reading were taken using Mettler Toledo Check Mate meters and probes. Temperature readings were obtained using a PT 100 probe with a Digitron 3204 Pt meter (RS components). The measurements were carried out by members of the field sampling team at York University, as part of the Land Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/329cbe8f-a292-4c5f-a15a-6528774dbee7

Continuous measurements of temperature, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen from river water at ten sites located within the rivers Swale, Derwent, Aire, Calder, Trent, Ouse and Nidd. Part of the Land Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS) project. Hydrolab H20 water quality monitors were installed at ten sites and used to log water temperature, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen between 1994 and 1997. Data were collected continuously at 30 minute intervals (for periods of variable lengths depending on site) between 1994 and 1997. Data were collected using Hydrolab DataSonde 3 continuous monitoring units. Hydrolabs at River Nidd (Hunsingore) and the River Swale (Crakehill) were suspended from trees. The other hydrolabs were located in large steel pipes running from the bank into the rivers which allowed the flow of water over the probes but offered a high degree of safety from damage by vandals and large water borne objects. The units on the Trent and the Ouse at Skelton were fitted with stirrers, as the probes were prone to fouling by the high levels of suspended solids often encountered in these rivers during spate conditions. The deployment of the units and the collection of data were carried out by members of the field sampling team at York University, as part of the Land Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/b8a985f5-30b5-4234-9a62-03de60bf31f7