This paper presents evaluation of resistance parameters: friction slope, friction velocity and Manning coefficient in unsteady flow. Theoretical description is facilitated with the analysis of field data from artificial dam-break flood waves in a small lowland watercourse. The methodology to enhance the evaluation of resistance by relations derived from flow equations is proposed. The study shows the Manning coefficient is less sensitive to simplified relations than other parameters.

The effect of empirical-statistical bias correction methods, like quantile mapping (QM), on the simulated climate change signals (CCS) is currently strongly discussed and is often regarded as deficiency of bias correction methods. We demonstrate that, quite the contrary, QM can lead to an improved CCS and also has the potential to serve as an empirical constraint on model uncertainty in climate projections.

Profiles of soil water stable isotopes were followed non-destructively and with high precision for a period of 290 days in the laboratory Rewatering at the end of the experiment led to instantaneous resetting of the isotope profiles, which could be closely followed with the new method The evaporation depth dynamics was determined from isotope gradients calculation Uncertainty associated with the determination of isotope kinetic fractionation where highlighted from inverse modeling.

Freshwater shortage is one of the most important risks, partially driven by climate variability. Here we present a first global scale sensitivity assessment of water scarcity events to El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the most dominant climate variability signal. Given the found correlations, covering a large share of the global land area, and seen the developments of water scarcity impacts under changing socioeconomic conditions, we show that there is large potential for ENSO-based risk reduction.

Climate and hydrology are relevant control factors determining the timing and amount of nutrient losses from land to aquatic systems, in particular of phosphorus (P) from agricultural lands. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the differences in P export patterns and the performance of alternative monitoring strategies in streams under contrasting climate-driven flow regimes: temperate and stable discharge conditions (Denmark) and sub-tropical and flashy conditions (Uruguay).

This study examined the applicability of the SWAT model to a moderately steep, temperate, small–sized catchment in Rotorua, New Zealand. It highlighted the importance of using high–frequency, event–based monitoring data for model calibration to alleviate the potential of underestimation of storm–driven fluxes. Parameter sensitivity was quantified for discharge, sediment and nutrient fluxes dependent on the relative dominance of base flow and quick flow.

The article presents a long-term analysis of flood occurrence along the southern part of the Upper Rhine River system and of 14 of its tributaries in France and Germany since 1480 BC. Special focus is given to temporal and spatial variations of flood events and their underlying meteorological causes over time, knowledge about the historical aspects of flood protection and flood vulnerability, while comparing selected historical and modern extreme events, establishing a common evaluation scheme.

In order to evaluate the future water availability in an artificial recharge area located in arid Iran, different climate and water management scenarios were applied. This was done through the simulation of surface water and groundwater by numerical modeling. The results showed that the pumping scenarios have the most substantial effect on groundwater level and continuation of current pumping rate would lead to a total depletion of the aquifer in the upcoming decade.

Isotope and hydrochemical tracers are tested providing new insights to isotope hydrograph in semi-arid areas in southern Africa. This study provides a spatial hydrochemical characterization of surface and groundwater sources, end member mixing analysis, and two- and three-component hydrograph separations. Results showed that the Kaap catchment is mainly dominated by groundwater sources, and direct runoff is positively correlated with the Antecedent Precipitation Index during the wet season.

Andean catchments play a key role in the provision of freshwater resources. The development of megacities in the inter-Andean valleys raises severe concerns about growing water scarcity. This study is one of the first long-term (1970s-now) analyses of the role of land cover and climate change on provision and regulation of streamflow in the tropical Andes. Forest conversion had the largest impact on streamflow, leading to a 10 % net decrease in streamflow over the last 40 years.

We investigate for the first time the possibility of deriving high-resolution imperviousness maps for urban areas from UAV imagery and using this information as input for urban drainage models. We show that imperviousness maps generated using UAV imagery processed with modern classification methods achieve accuracy comparable with standard, off-the-shelf aerial imagery. We conclude that UAV imagery represents a valuable alternative data source for urban drainage model applications.

In this review, we discuss a range of techniques, including remote sensing, for identifying groundwater-dependent ecosystems and determining rates of water use by GDEs. In addition, gravity recovery satellite data are discussed in relation to changes in soil and groundwater stores. Ecophysiological and structural attributes of GDEs are reviewed, from which we present an integrated ecosystem-scale response as a function of differences in depth-to-groundwater.

The development of California was facilitated by redistributing water from the natural landscape to other uses. This development was accompanied by declines in native aquatic species, which have been attributed to reductions in Delta outflow. By reconstructing the natural landscape and using water balances to estimate natural Delta outflow, this flow is shown to be consistent with current outflow on a long-term annual average basis.

We examined the variability of daily stable isotopic composition in precipitation in Nanjing, eastern China. We found that both the upstream rainout effect on stable isotopes related to changes in the Asian summer monsoon and the temperature effect of precipitation stable isotopes associated with the Asian winter monsoon should be taken into account when interpreting the stable isotopic composition of speleothems in the Asian monsoon region.

A flood frequency analysis for the Vltava River catchment based on an interpretation of documentary sources was carried out for a major profile in Prague. Six flood-rich periods in total were identified for 1118–2013. The most important were in the 16th and 19th centuries. The territory of the present Czech Republic might have experienced in the past, extreme floods comparable, with regard to peak discharge (higher than or equal to Q10) and frequency, to the flood events recorded recently.

This study highlights the grid resolution dependence of energy and water balance of the 3-D physically based integrated surface-groundwater model. The non-local controls of soil moisture were found to be highly grid resolution dependent, but the local vegetation control strongly modulates the scaling behavior of surface energy fluxes. For coupled runs, variability in patterns of surface fluxes due to this scale dependence can affect the simulated atmospheric boundary layer and local circulation.

To improve the design of drought monitoring networks and water resource management during episodes of drought, there is a need for a better understanding of spatial variations in the response of aquifers to major meteorological droughts. This paper is the first to describe a suite of methods to quantify such variations. Using an analysis of groundwater level data for a case study from the UK, the influence of catchment characteristics on the varied response of groundwater to droughts is explored

To ensure reliable model results, hydrological processes have to be represented adequately in models. We present a framework that uses a temporal parameter sensitivity analysis and observed hydrological processes in the catchment to verify hydrological models. The framework is exemplarily applied to verify the groundwater structure of a hydrological model. The results show the appropriate simulation of all relevant hydrological processes in relation to processes observed in the catchment.

Provision of hydrological ecosystem services underlies water and food security and the protection of human lives and properties. We show that the integration of these services into an ecosystem accounting framework provides relevant information on ecosystems and hydrological ecosystem services at appropriate scales suitable for decision-making.

Flash floods are important hazards in urbanised zone and constitute important human and financial stakes. This paper applies a novel methodology, KnoX, dedicated to extract knowledge from a neural network model. It was shown that KnoX method could help to better characterize processes of both surface and underground floods. A case study is chosen in France: the Lez karst hydrosystem whose river crosses the city of Montpellier (400 000 inhabitants). Results will help flood warning services.