Hydrological ProcessesVolume 24, Issue 12 p. 1745-1754 Invited Commentary How old is streamwater? Open questions in catchment transit time conceptualization, modelling and analysis J. J. McDonnell, Corresponding Author J. J. McDonnell jeffrey.mcdonnell@oregonstate.edu Institute for Water and Watersheds and Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5706, USA School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 3UF UKInstitute for Water and Watersheds and Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5706, USA; School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 3UF UK.===Search for more papers by this authorK. McGuire, K. McGuire Virginia Water Resources Research Center & Department of Forestry Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USASearch for more papers by this authorP. Aggarwal, P. Aggarwal Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, AustriaSearch for more papers by this authorK. J. Beven, K. J. Beven Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ UKSearch for more papers by this authorD. Biondi, D. Biondi Dipartimento di Difesa del Suolo, Università della Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. Destouni, G. Destouni Department of Physical Geography & Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, SE 106 91 Stockholm, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorS. Dunn, S. Dunn Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UKSearch for more papers by this authorA. James, A. James Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC 27695-8080, USASearch for more papers by this authorJ. Kirchner, J. Kirchner Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Raemistrasse 101, CH-8092, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. Kraft, P. Kraft Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorS. Lyon, S. Lyon Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Villavägen 16, SE-752 36 Uppsala, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorP. Maloszewski, P. Maloszewski HMGU Munich—Institute of Groundwater Ecology, 85764 Neuherberg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorB. Newman, B. Newman Department of Environment and Agro-Biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public-Gabriel Lippmann, 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, LuxembourgSearch for more papers by this authorL. Pfister, L. Pfister Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, AustriaSearch for more papers by this authorA. Rinaldo, A. Rinaldo Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Universita' di Padova, Padova I-35131, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorA. Rodhe, A. Rodhe Division of Hydrology, Uppsala University, Box 256, SE-751 05 Uppsala, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorT. Sayama, T. Sayama DPRI, Kyoto University, Gokasho Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, JapanSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Seibert, J. Seibert Hydrology and Climate, Physical Geography Division, Department of Geography University of Zurich—Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorK. Solomon, K. Solomon Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USASearch for more papers by this authorC. Soulsby, C. Soulsby University of Edinburgh, Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UKSearch for more papers by this authorM. Stewart, M. Stewart Aquifer Dynamics & GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorD. Tetzlaff, D. Tetzlaff School of Geosciences, Department of Geography and Environment, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road Aberdeen, AB24 3UF Scotland, UKSearch for more papers by this authorC. Tobin, C. Tobin Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, EPFL ENAC ISTE EFLUM GR A0 402, Station 2, Lausanne CH-1015, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. Troch, P. Troch Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USASearch for more papers by this authorM. Weiler, M. Weiler Institute of Hydrology, University of Freiburg, Fahnenbergplatz, 79098 Freiburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorA. Western, A. Western Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorA. Wörman, A. Wörman Division of Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 76, SE-100 44 Stockholm, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorS. Wrede, S. Wrede The Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Water Resources Section, P.O. Box 5048, NL-2600 GA Delft, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author J. J. McDonnell, Corresponding Author J. J. McDonnell jeffrey.mcdonnell@oregonstate.edu Institute for Water and Watersheds and Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5706, USA School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 3UF UKInstitute for Water and Watersheds and Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-5706, USA; School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 3UF UK.===Search for more papers by this authorK. McGuire, K. McGuire Virginia Water Resources Research Center & Department of Forestry Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USASearch for more papers by this authorP. Aggarwal, P. Aggarwal Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, AustriaSearch for more papers by this authorK. J. Beven, K. J. Beven Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ UKSearch for more papers by this authorD. Biondi, D. Biondi Dipartimento di Difesa del Suolo, Università della Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), ItalySearch for more papers by this authorG. Destouni, G. Destouni Department of Physical Geography & Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, SE 106 91 Stockholm, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorS. Dunn, S. Dunn Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UKSearch for more papers by this authorA. James, A. James Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, NC State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC 27695-8080, USASearch for more papers by this authorJ. Kirchner, J. Kirchner Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Raemistrasse 101, CH-8092, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. Kraft, P. Kraft Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392 Giessen, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorS. Lyon, S. Lyon Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Villavägen 16, SE-752 36 Uppsala, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorP. Maloszewski, P. Maloszewski HMGU Munich—Institute of Groundwater Ecology, 85764 Neuherberg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorB. Newman, B. Newman Department of Environment and Agro-Biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public-Gabriel Lippmann, 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, LuxembourgSearch for more papers by this authorL. Pfister, L. Pfister Isotope Hydrology Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, AustriaSearch for more papers by this authorA. Rinaldo, A. Rinaldo Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Universita' di Padova, Padova I-35131, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorA. Rodhe, A. Rodhe Division of Hydrology, Uppsala University, Box 256, SE-751 05 Uppsala, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorT. Sayama, T. Sayama DPRI, Kyoto University, Gokasho Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, JapanSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Seibert, J. Seibert Hydrology and Climate, Physical Geography Division, Department of Geography University of Zurich—Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorK. Solomon, K. Solomon Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USASearch for more papers by this authorC. Soulsby, C. Soulsby University of Edinburgh, Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, UKSearch for more papers by this authorM. Stewart, M. Stewart Aquifer Dynamics & GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt, New ZealandSearch for more papers by this authorD. Tetzlaff, D. Tetzlaff School of Geosciences, Department of Geography and Environment, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road Aberdeen, AB24 3UF Scotland, UKSearch for more papers by this authorC. Tobin, C. Tobin Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne, EPFL ENAC ISTE EFLUM GR A0 402, Station 2, Lausanne CH-1015, SwitzerlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. Troch, P. Troch Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 USASearch for more papers by this authorM. Weiler, M. Weiler Institute of Hydrology, University of Freiburg, Fahnenbergplatz, 79098 Freiburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorA. Western, A. Western Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorA. Wörman, A. Wörman Division of Water Resources Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 76, SE-100 44 Stockholm, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorS. Wrede, S. Wrede The Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Water Resources Section, P.O. Box 5048, NL-2600 GA Delft, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author First published: 03 June 2010 https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7796Citations: 224AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume24, Issue12Special Issue: Preferential flows and residence time distributions - Annual Review Issue15 June 2010Pages 1745-1754 RelatedInformation