Articles | Volume 21, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3859-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3859-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Review article
| 
28 Jul 2017
Review article |
| 28 Jul 2017
Spatial and temporal variability of rainfall and their effects on hydrological response in urban areas – a review
Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA, Delft, the Netherlands
Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis
Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA, Delft, the Netherlands
Nick van de Giesen
Department of Water Management, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5048, 2600 GA, Delft, the Netherlands
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Didier de Villiers, Marc Schleiss, Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, Rolf Hut, and Nick van de Giesen
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Moctar Dembélé, Bettina Schaefli, Nick van de Giesen, and Grégoire Mariéthoz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5379–5406, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5379-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5379-2020, 2020
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Justus G. V. van Ramshorst, Miriam Coenders-Gerrits, Bart Schilperoort, Bas J. H. van de Wiel, Jonathan G. Izett, John S. Selker, Chad W. Higgins, Hubert H. G. Savenije, and Nick C. van de Giesen
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Jeffrey C. Davids, Martine M. Rutten, Anusha Pandey, Nischal Devkota, Wessel David van Oyen, Rajaram Prajapati, and Nick van de Giesen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1045–1065, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1045-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1045-2019, 2019
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Wise management of water resources requires data. Nevertheless, the amount of water data being collected continues to decline. We evaluated potential citizen science approaches for measuring flows of headwater streams and springs. After selecting salt dilution as the preferred approach, we partnered with Nepali students to cost-effectively measure flows and water quality with smartphones at 264 springs and streams which provide crucial water supplies to the rapidly expanding Kathmandu Valley.
Tim van Emmerik, Susan Steele-Dunne, Pierre Gentine, Rafael S. Oliveira, Paulo Bittencourt, Fernanda Barros, and Nick van de Giesen
Biogeosciences, 15, 6439–6449, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6439-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6439-2018, 2018
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Trees are very important for the water and carbon cycles. Climate and weather models often assume constant vegetation parameters because good measurements are missing. We used affordable accelerometers to measure tree sway of 19 trees in the Amazon rainforest. We show that trees respond very differently to the same weather conditions, which means that vegetation parameters are dynamic. With our measurements trees can be accounted for more realistically, improving climate and weather models.
Elena Cristiano, Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, Santiago Gaitan, Susana Ochoa Rodriguez, and Nick van de Giesen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2425–2447, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2425-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2425-2018, 2018
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In this work we investigate the influence rainfall and catchment scales have on hydrological response. This problem is quite relevant in urban areas, where the response is fast due to the high degree of imperviousness. We presented a new approach to classify rainfall variability in space and time and use this classification to investigate rainfall aggregation effects on urban hydrological response. This classification allows the spatial extension of the main core of the storm to be identified.
Koen Hilgersom, Marcel Zijlema, and Nick van de Giesen
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 521–540, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-521-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-521-2018, 2018
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Hubertus M. Coerver, Martine M. Rutten, and Nick C. van de Giesen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 831–851, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-831-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-831-2018, 2018
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Global hydrological models aim to model hydrological processes, like flows in a river, on a global scale, as opposed to traditional models which are regional. A big challenge in creating these models is the inclusion of impacts on the hydrological cycle caused by humans, for example by the operation of large (hydropower) dams. The presented study investigates a new way to include these impacts by dams into global hydrological models.
Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, Zhengzheng Zhou, Long Yang, Shuguang Liu, and James Smith
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 417–436, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-417-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-417-2018, 2018
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The effect of storm scale and movement on runoff flows in urban catchments remains poorly understood due to the complexity of urban land use and man-made infrastructure. In this study, interactions among rainfall, urbanisation and peak flows were analyzed based on 15 years of radar rainfall and flow observations. We found that flow-path networks strongly smoothed rainfall peaks. Unexpectedly, the storm position relative to impervious cover within the basins had little effect on flow peaks.
Christian Bouwens, Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, Marc Schleiss, Xin Tian, and Jerôme Schepers
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2017-751, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2017-751, 2018
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Urban drainage systems are challenged by both urbanization and climate change, intensifying flooding impacts by rainfall. We performed this study to better understand and predict this process. The paper provides an approach to analyze the functioning of an urban drainage system without the need to run hydrodynamic models. Rainfall thresholds for urban flood prediction were derived, which surprisingly are only approximately half of the theoretical drainage system design capacity.
Abdellah Ichiba, Auguste Gires, Ioulia Tchiguirinskaia, Daniel Schertzer, Philippe Bompard, and Marie-Claire Ten Veldhuis
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 331–350, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-331-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-331-2018, 2018
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This paper proposes a two-step investigation to illustrate the extent of scale effects in urban hydrology. First, fractal tools are used to highlight the scale dependency observed within GIS data inputted in urban hydrological models. Then an intensive multi-scale modelling work was carried out to confirm effects on model performances. The model was implemented at 17 spatial resolutions ranging from 100 to 5 m. Results allow the understanding of scale challenges in hydrology modelling.
Natalie C. Ceperley, Theophile Mande, Nick van de Giesen, Scott Tyler, Hamma Yacouba, and Marc B. Parlange
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 4149–4167, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4149-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4149-2017, 2017
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We relate land cover (savanna forest and agriculture) to evaporation in Burkina Faso, west Africa. We observe more evaporation and temperature movement over the savanna forest in the headwater area relative to the agricultural section of the watershed. We find that the fraction of available energy converted to evaporation relates to vegetation cover and soil moisture. From the results, evaporation can be calculated where ground-based measurements are lacking, frequently the case across Africa.
Matthieu Spekkers, Viktor Rözer, Annegret Thieken, Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, and Heidi Kreibich
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 1337–1355, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1337-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1337-2017, 2017
Auguste Gires, Ioulia Tchiguirinskaia, Daniel Schertzer, Susana Ochoa-Rodriguez, Patrick Willems, Abdellah Ichiba, Li-Pen Wang, Rui Pina, Johan Van Assel, Guendalina Bruni, Damian Murla Tuyls, and Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 2361–2375, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-2361-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-2361-2017, 2017
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Data from 10 urban or peri-urban catchments located in five EU countries are used to analyze the imperviousness distribution and sewer network geometry. Consistent scale invariant features are retrieved for both (fractal dimensions can be defined), which enables to define a level of urbanization. Imperviousness representation in operational model is also found to exhibit scale-invariant features (even multifractality). The research was carried out as part of the UE INTERREG IV RainGain project.
Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis and Marc Schleiss
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1991–2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1991-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1991-2017, 2017
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In this paper we analysed flow measurements from 17 watersheds in a (semi-)urban region, to characterise flow patterns according to basin features. Instead of sampling flows at fixed time intervals, we looked at how fast given amounts of flow were accumulated. By doing so, we could identify patterns of flow regulation in urban streams and quantify flashiness of hydrological response. We were able to show that in this region, higher urbanisation was clearly associated with lower basin flashiness.
Søren Thorndahl, Thomas Einfalt, Patrick Willems, Jesper Ellerbæk Nielsen, Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Michael R. Rasmussen, and Peter Molnar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1359–1380, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1359-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1359-2017, 2017
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This paper reviews how weather radar data can be used in urban hydrological applications. It focuses on three areas of research: (1) temporal and spatial resolution of rainfall data, (2) rainfall estimation, radar data adjustment and data quality, and (3) nowcasting of radar rainfall and real-time applications. Moreover, the paper provides examples of urban hydrological applications which can benefit from radar rainfall data in comparison to tradition rain gauge measurements of rainfall.
Rolf Hut, Niels Drost, Maarten van Meersbergen, Edwin Sutanudjaja, Marc Bierkens, and Nick van de Giesen
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2016-225, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2016-225, 2016
Revised manuscript not accepted
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A system that predicts the amount of water flowing in each river on earth, 9 days ahead, is build using existing parts of open source computer code build by different researchers in other projects.
The glue between all pre-existing parts are all open interfaces which means that the pieces system click together like a house of LEGOs. It is easy to remove a piece (a brick) and replace it with another, improved, piece.
The resulting predictions are available online at forecast.ewatercycle.org
Koen Hilgersom, Tim van Emmerik, Anna Solcerova, Wouter Berghuijs, John Selker, and Nick van de Giesen
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 5, 151–162, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-5-151-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-5-151-2016, 2016
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Fibre optic distributed temperature sensing allows one to measure temperature patterns along a fibre optic cable with resolutions down to 25 cm. In geosciences, we sometimes wrap the cable to a coil to measure temperature at even smaller scales. We show that coils with narrow bends affect the measured temperatures. This also holds for the object to which the coil is attached, when heated by solar radiation. We therefore recommend the necessity to carefully design such distributed temperature probes.
K. E. R. Pramana, M. W. Ertsen, and N. C. van de Giesen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-9489-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-12-9489-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
J. Hoogeveen, J.-M. Faurès, L. Peiser, J. Burke, and N. van de Giesen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3829–3844, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3829-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3829-2015, 2015
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GlobWat is a freely distributed, global soil water balance model that is used by FAO to assess water use in irrigated agriculture, the main factor behind scarcity of freshwater in an increasing number of regions. The model is based on spatially distributed high-resolution data sets that are consistent at global level and is calibrated and validated against information published in global databases. The paper describes methodology, input and output data, calibration and validation of the model.
S. Gaitan and J. A. E. ten Veldhuis
Proc. IAHS, 370, 9–14, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-9-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-9-2015, 2015
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The objective of this paper is to outline opportunities for multivariate analysis of open spatial datasets to characterize urban flooding risks. To that end, a cluster analysis is performed. Results indicate that incidence of
rainfall-related impacts is higher in areas characterized by older infrastructure and higher population density.
M. H. Spekkers, F. H. L. R. Clemens, and J. A. E. ten Veldhuis
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 261–272, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-261-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-15-261-2015, 2015
G. Bruni, R. Reinoso, N. C. van de Giesen, F. H. L. R. Clemens, and J. A. E. ten Veldhuis
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 691–709, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-691-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-691-2015, 2015
S. A. P. de Jong, J. D. Slingerland, and N. C. van de Giesen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 335–339, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-335-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-335-2015, 2015
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By using two cylindrical thermometers with different diameters, one can determine what temperature a zero diameter thermometer would have. Such a virtual thermometer would not be affected by solar heating and would take on the temperature of the surrounding air. We applied this principle to atmospheric temperature measurements with fiber optic cables using distributed temperature sensing (DTS). With two unshielded cable pairs, one black pair and one white pair, good results were obtained.
M. H. Spekkers, M. Kok, F. H. L. R. Clemens, and J. A. E. ten Veldhuis
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 2531–2547, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-2531-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-2531-2014, 2014
S. V. Weijs, N. van de Giesen, and M. B. Parlange
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 3171–3187, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3171-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3171-2013, 2013
O. A. C. Hoes, R. W. Hut, N. C. van de Giesen, and M. Boomgaard
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/nhessd-1-417-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhessd-1-417-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
M. H. Spekkers, M. Kok, F. H. L. R. Clemens, and J. A. E. ten Veldhuis
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 913–922, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-913-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-913-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Urban Hydrology | Techniques and Approaches: Modelling approaches
Analysis of past and future droughts causing clay shrinkage in France
Pluvial and potential compound flooding in a coupled coastal modeling framework: New York City during post-tropical Cyclone Ida (2021)
Beyond total impervious area: a new lumped descriptor of basin-wide hydrologic connectivity for characterizing urban watersheds
INSPIRE game: integration of vulnerability into impact-based forecasting of urban floods
Enhancing Urban Pluvial Flood Modelling through Graph Reconstruction of Incomplete Sewer Networks
Exploring the driving factors of compound flood severity in coastal cities: a comprehensive analytical approach
Enhancing generalizability of data-driven urban flood models by incorporating contextual information
Simulation of spatially distributed sources, transport, and transformation of nitrogen from fertilization and septic systems in a suburban watershed
Combining statistical and hydrodynamic models to assess compound flood hazards from rainfall and storm surge: a case study of Shanghai
An optimized long short-term memory (LSTM)-based approach applied to early warning and forecasting of ponding in the urban drainage system
A deep-learning-technique-based data-driven model for accurate and rapid flood predictions in temporal and spatial dimensions
Impact of urban geology on model simulations of shallow groundwater levels and flow paths
Technical note: Modeling spatial fields of extreme precipitation – a hierarchical Bayesian approach
Intersecting near-real time fluvial and pluvial inundation estimates with sociodemographic vulnerability to quantify a household flood impact index
Forecasting green roof detention performance by temporal downscaling of precipitation time-series projections
Evaluating different machine learning methods to simulate runoff from extensive green roofs
Modeling and interpreting hydrological responses of sustainable urban drainage systems with explainable machine learning methods
The impact of the spatiotemporal structure of rainfall on flood frequency over a small urban watershed: an approach coupling stochastic storm transposition and hydrologic modeling
Space variability impacts on hydrological responses of nature-based solutions and the resulting uncertainty: a case study of Guyancourt (France)
Urban surface water flood modelling – a comprehensive review of current models and future challenges
Resampling and ensemble techniques for improving ANN-based high-flow forecast accuracy
Event selection and two-stage approach for calibrating models of green urban drainage systems
Modeling the high-resolution dynamic exposure to flooding in a city region
Drainage area characterization for evaluating green infrastructure using the Storm Water Management Model
Critical scales to explain urban hydrological response: an application in Cranbrook, London
Increase in flood risk resulting from climate change in a developed urban watershed – the role of storm temporal patterns
Patterns and comparisons of human-induced changes in river flood impacts in cities
Scale effect challenges in urban hydrology highlighted with a distributed hydrological model
Comparison of the impacts of urban development and climate change on exposing European cities to pluvial flooding
Hydrodynamics of pedestrians' instability in floodwaters
Formulating and testing a method for perturbing precipitation time series to reflect anticipated climatic changes
Using rainfall thresholds and ensemble precipitation forecasts to issue and improve urban inundation alerts
Enhancing the T-shaped learning profile when teaching hydrology using data, modeling, and visualization activities
On the sensitivity of urban hydrodynamic modelling to rainfall spatial and temporal resolution
Precipitation variability within an urban monitoring network via microcanonical cascade generators
Estimation of peak discharges of historical floods
Indirect downscaling of hourly precipitation based on atmospheric circulation and temperature
Assessing the hydrologic restoration of an urbanized area via an integrated distributed hydrological model
Using the Storm Water Management Model to predict urban headwater stream hydrological response to climate and land cover change
Evaluating scale and roughness effects in urban flood modelling using terrestrial LIDAR data
Contribution of directly connected and isolated impervious areas to urban drainage network hydrographs
Thermal management of an unconsolidated shallow urban groundwater body
Online multistep-ahead inundation depth forecasts by recurrent NARX networks
A statistical analysis of insurance damage claims related to rainfall extremes
Joint impact of rainfall and tidal level on flood risk in a coastal city with a complex river network: a case study of Fuzhou City, China
Urbanization and climate change impacts on future urban flooding in Can Tho city, Vietnam
Multi-objective optimization for combined quality–quantity urban runoff control
Development of flood probability charts for urban drainage network in coastal areas through a simplified joint assessment approach
Auto-control of pumping operations in sewerage systems by rule-based fuzzy neural networks
Coupling urban event-based and catchment continuous modelling for combined sewer overflow river impact assessment
Sophie Barthelemy, Bertrand Bonan, Miquel Tomas-Burguera, Gilles Grandjean, Séverine Bernardie, Jean-Philippe Naulin, Patrick Le Moigne, Aaron Boone, and Jean-Christophe Calvet
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 2321–2337, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2321-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2321-2025, 2025
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A drought index is developed that quantifies drought on an annual scale, making it applicable to monitoring clay shrinkage damage to buildings. A comparison with the number of insurance claims for subsidence shows that the presence of trees near individual houses must be taken into account. Significant soil moisture droughts occurred in France in 2003, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Particularly high index values are observed in 2022. It is found that droughts will become more severe in the future.
Shima Kasaei, Philip M. Orton, David K. Ralston, and John C. Warner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 2043–2058, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2043-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2043-2025, 2025
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Coastal urban areas are highly prone to flooding from rainfall, storm surge, and the combination of both. We improve a coastal model and use it to quantify flooding from Hurricane Ida in the Jamaica Bay watershed of New York City (NYC), creating a flood map and flooded area estimation. Experiments with shifted storm tracks and rainfall timing at high tide show that Ida, already the worst rainfall in NYC, could have been worse. This highlights the area's vulnerability and the need for thorough flood risk analysis.
Francesco Dell'Aira and Claudio I. Meier
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 1001–1032, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1001-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1001-2025, 2025
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Scientists and engineers need better indices to frame the hydrologic effects of land development. Existing approaches are not able to reflect the interactions due to the spatial arrangement of distinct land patches, which affect how much runoff is generated and how fast it can travel downstream, impacting flood response. Our novel, GIS-based modeling framework explicitly considers these aspects and is applicable to a wide range of problems, including peak-flow predictions in ungauged basins.
Akshay Singhal, Louise Crochemore, Isabelle Ruin, and Sanjeev K. Jha
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 947–967, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-947-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-947-2025, 2025
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A serious game experiment is presented which assesses the interplay between hazard, exposure, and vulnerability in a flash flood event. The results show that participants' use of information to make decisions was based on the severity of the situation. Participants used precipitation forecast and exposure to make correct decisions in the first round, while they used precipitation forecast and vulnerability information in the second round.
Ruidong Li, Jiapei Liu, Ting Sun, Shao Jian, Fuqiang Tian, and Guangheng Ni
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3780, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3780, 2025
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This work presents a new approach to simulate sewer drainage effects for urban flooding with key missing information like flow directions and nodal depths estimated from incomplete information. Tested in Yinchuan, China, our approach exhibits high accuracy in reproducing flood depths and reliably outperforms existing methods in various rainfall scenarios. Our method offers a reliable tool for cities with limited sewer data to improve flood simulation performance.
Yan Liu, Ting Zhang, Yi Ding, Aiqing Kang, Xiaohui Lei, and Jianzhu Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5541–5555, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5541-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5541-2024, 2024
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In coastal cities, rainfall and tides contribute to compound flooding. This study quantifies the impacts of rainfall and tides on compound flooding and analyzes interactions between different flood types. Findings show that rainfall generally has a greater effect on flooding than tide levels. The interaction between fluvial and pluvial flooding amplifies the flood disaster, with tide levels having the most significant impact during the interaction phase.
Tabea Cache, Milton Salvador Gomez, Tom Beucler, Jovan Blagojevic, João Paulo Leitao, and Nadav Peleg
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5443–5458, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5443-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5443-2024, 2024
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We introduce a new deep-learning model that addresses the limitations of existing urban flood models in handling varied terrains and rainfall events. Our model subdivides a city into small patches and presents a novel approach to incorporate broader terrain information. It accurately predicts high-resolution flood maps across diverse rainfall events and cities (on minute and meter scales) that haven’t been seen by the model, which offers valuable insights for urban flood mitigation strategies.
Ruoyu Zhang, Lawrence E. Band, Peter M. Groffman, Laurence Lin, Amanda K. Suchy, Jonathan M. Duncan, and Arthur J. Gold
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 4599–4621, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4599-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4599-2024, 2024
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Human-induced nitrogen (N) from fertilization and septic effluents is the primary N source in urban watersheds. We developed a model to understand how spatial and temporal patterns of these loads affect hydrologic and biogeochemical processes at the hillslope level. The comparable simulations to observations showed the ability of our model to enhance insights into current water quality conditions, identify high-N-retention locations, and plan future restorations to improve urban water quality.
Hanqing Xu, Elisa Ragno, Sebastiaan N. Jonkman, Jun Wang, Jeremy D. Bricker, Zhan Tian, and Laixiang Sun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3919–3930, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3919-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3919-2024, 2024
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A coupled statistical–hydrodynamic model framework is employed to quantitatively evaluate the sensitivity of compound flood hazards to the relative timing of peak storm surges and rainfall. The findings reveal that the timing difference between these two factors significantly affects flood inundation depth and extent. The most severe inundation occurs when rainfall precedes the storm surge peak by 2 h.
Wen Zhu, Tao Tao, Hexiang Yan, Jieru Yan, Jiaying Wang, Shuping Li, and Kunlun Xin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2035–2050, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2035-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2035-2023, 2023
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To provide a possibility for early warning and forecasting of ponding in the urban drainage system, an optimized long short-term memory (LSTM)-based model is proposed in this paper. It has a remarkable improvement compared to the models based on LSTM and convolutional neural network (CNN) structures. The performance of the corrected model is reliable if the number of monitoring sites is over one per hectare. Increasing the number of monitoring points further has little impact on the performance.
Qianqian Zhou, Shuai Teng, Zuxiang Situ, Xiaoting Liao, Junman Feng, Gongfa Chen, Jianliang Zhang, and Zonglei Lu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1791–1808, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1791-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1791-2023, 2023
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A deep-learning-based data-driven model for flood predictions in temporal and spatial dimensions, with the integration of a long short-term memory network, Bayesian optimization, and transfer learning is proposed. The model accurately predicts water depths and flood time series/dynamics for hyetograph inputs, with substantial improvements in computational time. With transfer learning, the model was well applied to a new case study and showed robust compatibility and generalization ability.
Ane LaBianca, Mette H. Mortensen, Peter Sandersen, Torben O. Sonnenborg, Karsten H. Jensen, and Jacob Kidmose
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1645–1666, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1645-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1645-2023, 2023
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The study explores the effect of Anthropocene geology and the computational grid size on the simulation of shallow urban groundwater. Many cities are facing challenges with high groundwater levels close to the surface, yet urban planning and development seldom consider its impact on the groundwater resource. This study illustrates that the urban subsurface infrastructure significantly affects the groundwater flow paths and the residence time of shallow urban groundwater.
Bianca Rahill-Marier, Naresh Devineni, and Upmanu Lall
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5685–5695, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5685-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5685-2022, 2022
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We present a new approach to modeling extreme regional rainfall by considering the spatial structure of extreme events. The developed models allow a probabilistic exploration of how the regional drainage network may respond to extreme rainfall events and provide a foundation for how future risks may be better estimated.
Matthew Preisser, Paola Passalacqua, R. Patrick Bixler, and Julian Hofmann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3941–3964, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3941-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3941-2022, 2022
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There is rising concern in numerous fields regarding the inequitable distribution of human risk to floods. The co-occurrence of river and surface flooding is largely excluded from leading flood hazard mapping services, therefore underestimating hazards. Using high-resolution elevation data and a region-specific social vulnerability index, we developed a method to estimate flood impacts at the household level in near-real time.
Vincent Pons, Rasmus Benestad, Edvard Sivertsen, Tone Merete Muthanna, and Jean-Luc Bertrand-Krajewski
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 2855–2874, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2855-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2855-2022, 2022
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Different models were developed to increase the temporal resolution of precipitation time series to minutes. Their applicability under climate change and their suitability for producing input time series for green infrastructure (e.g. green roofs) modelling were evaluated. The robustness of the model was validated against a range of European climates in eight locations in France and Norway. The future hydrological performances of green roofs were evaluated in order to improve design practice.
Elhadi Mohsen Hassan Abdalla, Vincent Pons, Virginia Stovin, Simon De-Ville, Elizabeth Fassman-Beck, Knut Alfredsen, and Tone Merete Muthanna
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5917–5935, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5917-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5917-2021, 2021
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This study investigated the potential of using machine learning algorithms as hydrological models of green roofs across different climatic condition. The study provides comparison between conceptual and machine learning algorithms. Machine learning models were found to be accurate in simulating runoff from extensive green roofs.
Yang Yang and Ting Fong May Chui
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5839–5858, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5839-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5839-2021, 2021
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This study uses explainable machine learning methods to model and interpret the statistical correlations between rainfall and the discharge of urban catchments with sustainable urban drainage systems. The resulting models have good prediction accuracies. However, the right predictions may be made for the wrong reasons as the model cannot provide physically plausible explanations as to why a prediction is made.
Zhengzheng Zhou, James A. Smith, Mary Lynn Baeck, Daniel B. Wright, Brianne K. Smith, and Shuguang Liu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 4701–4717, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4701-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4701-2021, 2021
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The role of rainfall space–time structure in flood response is an important research issue in urban hydrology. This study contributes to this understanding in small urban watersheds. Combining stochastically based rainfall scenarios with a hydrological model, the results show the complexities of flood response for various return periods, implying the common assumptions of spatially uniform rainfall in urban flood frequency are problematic, even for relatively small basin scales.
Yangzi Qiu, Igor da Silva Rocha Paz, Feihu Chen, Pierre-Antoine Versini, Daniel Schertzer, and Ioulia Tchiguirinskaia
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3137–3162, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3137-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3137-2021, 2021
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Our original research objective is to investigate the uncertainties of the hydrological responses of nature-based solutions (NBSs) that result from the multiscale space variability in both the rainfall and the NBS distribution. Results show that the intersection effects of spatial variability in rainfall and the spatial arrangement of NBS can generate uncertainties of peak flow and total runoff volume estimations in NBS scenarios.
Kaihua Guo, Mingfu Guan, and Dapeng Yu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2843–2860, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2843-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2843-2021, 2021
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This study presents a comprehensive review of models and emerging approaches for predicting urban surface water flooding driven by intense rainfall. It explores the advantages and limitations of existing models and identifies major challenges. Issues of model complexities, scale effects, and computational efficiency are also analysed. The results will inform scientists, engineers, and decision-makers of the latest developments and guide the model selection based on desired objectives.
Everett Snieder, Karen Abogadil, and Usman T. Khan
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2543–2566, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2543-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2543-2021, 2021
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Flow distributions are highly skewed, resulting in low prediction accuracy of high flows when using artificial neural networks for flood forecasting. We investigate the use of resampling and ensemble techniques to address the problem of skewed datasets to improve high flow prediction. The methods are implemented both independently and in combined, hybrid techniques. This research presents the first analysis of the effects of combining these methods on high flow prediction accuracy.
Ico Broekhuizen, Günther Leonhardt, Jiri Marsalek, and Maria Viklander
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 869–885, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-869-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-869-2020, 2020
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Urban drainage models are usually calibrated using a few events so that they accurately represent a real-world site. This paper compares 14 single- and two-stage strategies for selecting these events and found significant variation between them in terms of model performance and the obtained values of model parameters. Calibrating parameters for green and impermeable areas in two separate stages improved model performance in the validation period while making calibration easier and faster.
Xuehong Zhu, Qiang Dai, Dawei Han, Lu Zhuo, Shaonan Zhu, and Shuliang Zhang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3353–3372, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3353-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3353-2019, 2019
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Urban flooding exposure is generally investigated with the assumption of stationary disasters and disaster-hit bodies during an event, and thus it cannot satisfy the increasingly elaborate modeling and management of urban floods. In this study, a comprehensive method was proposed to simulate dynamic exposure to urban flooding considering human mobility. Several scenarios, including diverse flooding types and various responses of residents to flooding, were considered.
Joong Gwang Lee, Christopher T. Nietch, and Srinivas Panguluri
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2615–2635, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2615-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2615-2018, 2018
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This paper demonstrates an approach to spatial discretization for analyzing green infrastructure (GI) using SWMM. Besides DCIA, pervious buffers should be identified for GI modeling. Runoff contributions from different spatial components and flow pathways would impact GI performance. The presented approach can reduce the number of calibration parameters and apply scale–independently to a watershed scale. Hydrograph separation can add insights for developing GI scenarios.
Elena Cristiano, Marie-Claire ten Veldhuis, Santiago Gaitan, Susana Ochoa Rodriguez, and Nick van de Giesen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2425–2447, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2425-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2425-2018, 2018
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In this work we investigate the influence rainfall and catchment scales have on hydrological response. This problem is quite relevant in urban areas, where the response is fast due to the high degree of imperviousness. We presented a new approach to classify rainfall variability in space and time and use this classification to investigate rainfall aggregation effects on urban hydrological response. This classification allows the spatial extension of the main core of the storm to be identified.
Suresh Hettiarachchi, Conrad Wasko, and Ashish Sharma
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2041–2056, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2041-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2041-2018, 2018
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The study examines the impact of higher temperatures expected in a future climate on how rainfall varies with time during severe storm events. The results show that these impacts increase future flood risk in urban environments and that current design guidelines need to be adjusted so that effective adaptation measures can be implemented.
Stephanie Clark, Ashish Sharma, and Scott A. Sisson
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1793–1810, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1793-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1793-2018, 2018
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This study investigates global patterns relating urban river flood impacts to socioeconomic development and changing hydrologic conditions, and comparisons are provided between 98 individual cities. This paper condenses and communicates large amounts of information to accelerate the understanding of relationships between local urban conditions and global processes, and to potentially motivate knowledge transfer between decision-makers facing similar circumstances.
Abdellah Ichiba, Auguste Gires, Ioulia Tchiguirinskaia, Daniel Schertzer, Philippe Bompard, and Marie-Claire Ten Veldhuis
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 331–350, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-331-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-331-2018, 2018
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This paper proposes a two-step investigation to illustrate the extent of scale effects in urban hydrology. First, fractal tools are used to highlight the scale dependency observed within GIS data inputted in urban hydrological models. Then an intensive multi-scale modelling work was carried out to confirm effects on model performances. The model was implemented at 17 spatial resolutions ranging from 100 to 5 m. Results allow the understanding of scale challenges in hydrology modelling.
Per Skougaard Kaspersen, Nanna Høegh Ravn, Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Henrik Madsen, and Martin Drews
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 4131–4147, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4131-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4131-2017, 2017
Chiara Arrighi, Hocine Oumeraci, and Fabio Castelli
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 515–531, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-515-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-515-2017, 2017
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In developed countries, the majority of fatalities during floods occurs as a consequence of inappropriate high-risk behaviour such as walking or driving in floodwaters. This work addresses pedestrians' instability in floodwaters. It analyses both the contribution of flood and human physical characteristics in the loss of stability highlighting the key role of subject height (submergence) and flow regime. The method consists of a re-analysis of experiments and numerical modelling.
Hjalte Jomo Danielsen Sørup, Stylianos Georgiadis, Ida Bülow Gregersen, and Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 345–355, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-345-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-345-2017, 2017
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In this study we propose a methodology changing present-day precipitation time series to reflect future changed climate. Present-day time series have a much finer resolution than what is provided by climate models and thus have a much broader application range. The proposed methodology is able to replicate most expectations of climate change precipitation. These time series can be used to run fine-scale hydrological and hydraulic models and thereby assess the influence of climate change on them.
Tsun-Hua Yang, Gong-Do Hwang, Chin-Cheng Tsai, and Jui-Yi Ho
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 4731–4745, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4731-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4731-2016, 2016
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Taiwan continues to suffer from floods. This study proposes the integration of rainfall thresholds and ensemble precipitation forecasts to provide probabilistic urban inundation forecasts. Utilization of ensemble precipitation forecasts can extend forecast lead times to 72 h, preceding peak flows and allowing response agencies to take necessary preparatory measures. This study also develops a hybrid of real-time observation and rainfall forecasts to improve the first 24 h inundation forecasts.
Christopher A. Sanchez, Benjamin L. Ruddell, Roy Schiesser, and Venkatesh Merwade
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1289–1299, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1289-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1289-2016, 2016
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The use of authentic learning activities is especially important for place-based geosciences like hydrology, where professional breadth and technical depth are critical for practicing hydrologists. The current study found that integrating computerized learning content into the learning experience, using only a simple spreadsheet tool and readily available hydrological data, can effectively bring the "real world" into the classroom and provide an enriching educational experience.
G. Bruni, R. Reinoso, N. C. van de Giesen, F. H. L. R. Clemens, and J. A. E. ten Veldhuis
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 691–709, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-691-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-691-2015, 2015
P. Licznar, C. De Michele, and W. Adamowski
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 485–506, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-485-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-485-2015, 2015
J. Herget, T. Roggenkamp, and M. Krell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 4029–4037, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4029-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4029-2014, 2014
F. Beck and A. Bárdossy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4851–4863, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4851-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4851-2013, 2013
D. H. Trinh and T. F. M. Chui
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Short summary
In the last decades, new instruments were developed to measure rainfall and hydrological processes at high resolution. Weather radars are used, for example, to measure how rainfall varies in space and time. At the same time, new models were proposed to reproduce and predict hydrological response, in order to prevent flooding in urban areas. This paper presents a review of our current knowledge of rainfall and hydrological processes in urban areas, focusing on their variability in time and space.
In the last decades, new instruments were developed to measure rainfall and hydrological...
Special issue