Articles | Volume 25, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4081-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4081-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
14 Jul 2021
Research article |
| 14 Jul 2021
| 14 Jul 2021
Assimilation of probabilistic flood maps from SAR data into a coupled hydrologic–hydraulic forecasting model: a proof of concept
Concetta Di Mauro
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources Management,
Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
Renaud Hostache
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
Patrick Matgen
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
Ramona Pelich
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
Marco Chini
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
Peter Jan van Leeuwen
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, UK
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Nancy K. Nichols
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Reading, Reading, UK
Günter Blöschl
Centre for Water Resource Systems, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
Institute of Hydrology and Water Resources Management,
Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2597, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2597, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
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This study shows that stream flow isotope data (δ2H) were inadequate for distinguishing preferential groundwater flow. Large passive groundwater storage dampened δ2H variations, obscuring signals of fast groundwater flow and complicating the estimation of older water fractions in the streams. Further, weekly-resolution δ2H sampling yielded deceptively high model performance, highlighting the need for complementary and groundwater-level data to improve catchment-scale transit-time estimates.
Christopher Thoma, Borbala Szeles, Miriam Bertola, Elmar Schmaltz, Carmen Krammer, Peter Strauss, and Günter Blöschl
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2541, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2541, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
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We studied how farming practices affect soil and sediment movement in a small Austrian catchment. By monitoring water and sediment during 55 rain events, we found that erosion control worked well in flat fields near the stream, but not in steep or distant fields. Our results show that reducing soil loss requires strategies that consider slope, distance to streams, and how water flows through the landscape.
Paolo Nasta, Günter Blöschl, Heye R. Bogena, Steffen Zacharias, Roland Baatz, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Karsten H. Jensen, Salvatore Manfreda, Laurent Pfister, Ana M. Tarquis, Ilja van Meerveld, Marc Voltz, Yijian Zeng, William Kustas, Xin Li, Harry Vereecken, and Nunzio Romano
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 465–483, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, 2025
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The Unsolved Problems in Hydrology (UPH) initiative has emphasized the need to establish networks of multi-decadal hydrological observatories to tackle catchment-scale challenges on a global scale. This opinion paper provocatively discusses two endmembers of possible future hydrological observatory (HO) networks for a given hypothesized community budget: a comprehensive set of moderately instrumented observatories or, alternatively, a small number of highly instrumented supersites.
Hatice Türk, Christine Stumpp, Markus Hrachowitz, Karsten Schulz, Peter Strauss, Günter Blöschl, and Michael Stockinger
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-359, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-359, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
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Using advances in transit time estimation and tracer data, we tested if fast-flow transit times are controlled solely by soil moisture or are also controlled by precipitation intensity. We used soil moisture-dependent and precipitation intensity-conditional transfer functions. We showed that significant portion of event water bypasses the soil matrix through fast flow paths (overland flow, tile drains, preferential flow paths) in dry soil conditions for both low and high-intensity precipitation.
Bruno Merz, Günter Blöschl, Robert Jüpner, Heidi Kreibich, Kai Schröter, and Sergiy Vorogushyn
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4015–4030, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-4015-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-4015-2024, 2024
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Flood risk assessments help us decide how to reduce the risk of flooding. Since these assessments are based on probabilities, it is hard to check their accuracy by comparing them to past data. We suggest a new way to validate these assessments, making sure they are practical for real-life decisions. This approach looks at both the technical details and the real-world situations where decisions are made. We demonstrate its practicality by applying it to flood emergency planning.
Günter Blöschl, Andreas Buttinger-Kreuzhuber, Daniel Cornel, Julia Eisl, Michael Hofer, Markus Hollaus, Zsolt Horváth, Jürgen Komma, Artem Konev, Juraj Parajka, Norbert Pfeifer, Andreas Reithofer, José Salinas, Peter Valent, Roman Výleta, Jürgen Waser, Michael H. Wimmer, and Heinz Stiefelmeyer
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2071–2091, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2071-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2071-2024, 2024
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A methodology of regional flood hazard mapping is proposed, based on data in Austria, which combines automatic methods with manual interventions to maximise efficiency and to obtain estimation accuracy similar to that of local studies. Flood discharge records from 781 stations are used to estimate flood hazard patterns of a given return period at a resolution of 2 m over a total stream length of 38 000 km. The hazard maps are used for civil protection, risk awareness and insurance purposes.
Alberto Montanari, Bruno Merz, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 2603–2615, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2603-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2603-2024, 2024
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Floods often take communities by surprise, as they are often considered virtually
impossibleyet are an ever-present threat similar to the sword suspended over the head of Damocles in the classical Greek anecdote. We discuss four reasons why extremely large floods carry a risk that is often larger than expected. We provide suggestions for managing the risk of megafloods by calling for a creative exploration of hazard scenarios and communicating the unknown corners of the reality of floods.
J. Zhao, F. Roth, B. Bauer-Marschallinger, W. Wagner, M. Chini, and X. X. Zhu
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., X-1-W1-2023, 911–918, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-X-1-W1-2023-911-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-X-1-W1-2023-911-2023, 2023
Nicholas Williams, Nicholas Byrne, Daniel Feltham, Peter Jan Van Leeuwen, Ross Bannister, David Schroeder, Andrew Ridout, and Lars Nerger
The Cryosphere, 17, 2509–2532, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2509-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2509-2023, 2023
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Observations show that the Arctic sea ice cover has reduced over the last 40 years. This study uses ensemble-based data assimilation in a stand-alone sea ice model to investigate the impacts of assimilating three different kinds of sea ice observation, including the novel assimilation of sea ice thickness distribution. We show that assimilating ice thickness distribution has a positive impact on thickness and volume estimates within the ice pack, especially for very thick ice.
Mohammad Ghoreishi, Amin Elshorbagy, Saman Razavi, Günter Blöschl, Murugesu Sivapalan, and Ahmed Abdelkader
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1201–1219, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1201-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1201-2023, 2023
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The study proposes a quantitative model of the willingness to cooperate in the Eastern Nile River basin. Our results suggest that the 2008 food crisis may account for Sudan recovering its willingness to cooperate with Ethiopia. Long-term lack of trust among the riparian countries may have reduced basin-wide cooperation. The model can be used to explore the effects of changes in future dam operations and other management decisions on the emergence of basin cooperation.
Enrico Bonanno, Günter Blöschl, and Julian Klaus
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 6003–6028, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6003-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6003-2022, 2022
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There is an unclear understanding of which processes regulate the transport of water, solutes, and pollutants in streams. This is crucial since these processes control water quality in river networks. Compared to other approaches, we obtained clearer insights into the processes controlling solute transport in the investigated reach. This work highlights the risks of using uncertain results for interpreting the processes controlling water movement in streams.
Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5015–5033, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5015-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5015-2022, 2022
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There is serious concern that river floods are increasing. Starting from explanations discussed in public, the article addresses three hypotheses: land-use change, hydraulic structures, and climate change increase floods. This review finds that all three changes have the potential to not only increase floods, but also to reduce them. It is crucial to consider all three factors of change in flood risk management and communicate them to the general public in a nuanced way.
Shengping Wang, Borbala Szeles, Carmen Krammer, Elmar Schmaltz, Kepeng Song, Yifan Li, Zhiqiang Zhang, Günter Blöschl, and Peter Strauss
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3021–3036, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3021-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3021-2022, 2022
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This study explored the quantitative contribution of agricultural intensification and climate change to the sediment load of a small agricultural watershed. Rather than a change in climatic conditions, changes in the land structure notably altered sediment concentrations under high-flow conditions, thereby contributing most to the increase in annual sediment loads. More consideration of land structure improvement is required when combating the transfer of soil from land to water.
Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 2469–2480, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2469-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2469-2022, 2022
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Sound understanding of how floods come about allows for the development of more reliable flood management tools that assist in mitigating their negative impacts. This article reviews river flood generation processes and flow paths across space scales, starting from water movement in the soil pores and moving up to hillslopes, catchments, regions and entire continents. To assist model development, there is a need to learn from observed patterns of flood generation processes at all spatial scales.
Rui Tong, Juraj Parajka, Borbála Széles, Isabella Greimeister-Pfeil, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Jürgen Komma, Peter Valent, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1779–1799, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1779-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1779-2022, 2022
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The role and impact of using additional data (other than runoff) for the prediction of daily hydrographs in ungauged basins are not well understood. In this study, we assessed the model performance in terms of runoff, soil moisture, and snow cover predictions with the existing regionalization approaches. Results show that the best transfer methods are the similarity and the kriging approaches. The performance of the transfer methods differs between lowland and alpine catchments.
Sagar K. Tamang, Ardeshir Ebtehaj, Peter Jan van Leeuwen, Gilad Lerman, and Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 29, 77–92, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-77-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-29-77-2022, 2022
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The outputs from Earth system models are optimally combined with satellite observations to produce accurate forecasts through a process called data assimilation. Many existing data assimilation methodologies have some assumptions regarding the shape of the probability distributions of model output and observations, which results in forecast inaccuracies. In this paper, we test the effectiveness of a newly proposed methodology that relaxes such assumptions about high-dimensional models.
Stefan Schlaffer, Marco Chini, Wouter Dorigo, and Simon Plank
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 841–860, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-841-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-841-2022, 2022
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Prairie wetlands are important for biodiversity and water availability. Knowledge about their variability and spatial distribution is of great use in conservation and water resources management. In this study, we propose a novel approach for the classification of small water bodies from satellite radar images and apply it to our study area over 6 years. The retrieved dynamics show the different responses of small and large wetlands to dry and wet periods.
Wouter Dorigo, Irene Himmelbauer, Daniel Aberer, Lukas Schremmer, Ivana Petrakovic, Luca Zappa, Wolfgang Preimesberger, Angelika Xaver, Frank Annor, Jonas Ardö, Dennis Baldocchi, Marco Bitelli, Günter Blöschl, Heye Bogena, Luca Brocca, Jean-Christophe Calvet, J. Julio Camarero, Giorgio Capello, Minha Choi, Michael C. Cosh, Nick van de Giesen, Istvan Hajdu, Jaakko Ikonen, Karsten H. Jensen, Kasturi Devi Kanniah, Ileen de Kat, Gottfried Kirchengast, Pankaj Kumar Rai, Jenni Kyrouac, Kristine Larson, Suxia Liu, Alexander Loew, Mahta Moghaddam, José Martínez Fernández, Cristian Mattar Bader, Renato Morbidelli, Jan P. Musial, Elise Osenga, Michael A. Palecki, Thierry Pellarin, George P. Petropoulos, Isabella Pfeil, Jarrett Powers, Alan Robock, Christoph Rüdiger, Udo Rummel, Michael Strobel, Zhongbo Su, Ryan Sullivan, Torbern Tagesson, Andrej Varlagin, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Jeffrey Walker, Jun Wen, Fred Wenger, Jean Pierre Wigneron, Mel Woods, Kun Yang, Yijian Zeng, Xiang Zhang, Marek Zreda, Stephan Dietrich, Alexander Gruber, Peter van Oevelen, Wolfgang Wagner, Klaus Scipal, Matthias Drusch, and Roberto Sabia
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5749–5804, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5749-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5749-2021, 2021
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The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) is a community-based open-access data portal for soil water measurements taken at the ground and is accessible at https://ismn.earth. Over 1000 scientific publications and thousands of users have made use of the ISMN. The scope of this paper is to inform readers about the data and functionality of the ISMN and to provide a review of the scientific progress facilitated through the ISMN with the scope to shape future research and operations.
Nicholas J. Kedzuf, J. Christine Chiu, V. Chandrasekar, Sounak Biswas, Shashank S. Joshil, Yinghui Lu, Peter Jan van Leeuwen, Christopher Westbrook, Yann Blanchard, and Sebastian O'Shea
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6885–6904, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6885-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6885-2021, 2021
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Ice clouds play a key role in our climate system due to their strong controls on precipitation and the radiation budget. However, it is difficult to characterize co-existing ice species using radar observations. We present a new method that separates the radar signals of pristine ice embedded in snow aggregates and retrieves their respective abundances and sizes for the first time. The ability to provide their quantitative microphysical properties will open up many research opportunities.
David Lun, Alberto Viglione, Miriam Bertola, Jürgen Komma, Juraj Parajka, Peter Valent, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5535–5560, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5535-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5535-2021, 2021
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We investigate statistical properties of observed flood series on a European scale. There are pronounced regional patterns, for instance: regions with strong Atlantic influence show less year-to-year variability in the magnitude of observed floods when compared with more arid regions of Europe. The hydrological controls on the patterns are quantified and discussed. On the European scale, climate seems to be the dominant driver for the observed patterns.
Sagar K. Tamang, Ardeshir Ebtehaj, Peter J. van Leeuwen, Dongmian Zou, and Gilad Lerman
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 28, 295–309, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-295-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-28-295-2021, 2021
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Data assimilation aims to improve hydrologic and weather forecasts by combining available information from Earth system models and observations. The classical approaches to data assimilation usually proceed with some preconceived assumptions about the shape of their probability distributions. As a result, when such assumptions are invalid, the forecast accuracy suffers. In the proposed methodology, we relax such assumptions and demonstrate improved performance.
Lovrenc Pavlin, Borbála Széles, Peter Strauss, Alfred Paul Blaschke, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2327–2352, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2327-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2327-2021, 2021
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We compared the dynamics of streamflow, groundwater and soil moisture to investigate how different parts of an agricultural catchment in Lower Austria are connected. Groundwater is best connected around the stream and worse uphill, where groundwater is deeper. Soil moisture connectivity increases with increasing catchment wetness but is not influenced by spatial position in the catchment. Groundwater is more connected to the stream on the seasonal scale compared to the event scale.
Rui Tong, Juraj Parajka, Andreas Salentinig, Isabella Pfeil, Jürgen Komma, Borbála Széles, Martin Kubáň, Peter Valent, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Wolfgang Wagner, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1389–1410, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1389-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1389-2021, 2021
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We used a new and experimental version of the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) soil water index data set and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) C6 snow cover products for multiple objective calibrations of the TUWmodel in 213 catchments of Austria. Combined calibration to runoff, satellite soil moisture, and snow cover improves runoff (40 % catchments), soil moisture (80 % catchments), and snow (~ 100 % catchments) simulation compared to traditional calibration to runoff only.
Miriam Bertola, Alberto Viglione, Sergiy Vorogushyn, David Lun, Bruno Merz, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1347–1364, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1347-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1347-2021, 2021
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We estimate the contribution of extreme precipitation, antecedent soil moisture and snowmelt to changes in small and large floods across Europe.
In northwestern and eastern Europe, changes in small and large floods are driven mainly by one single driver (i.e. extreme precipitation and snowmelt, respectively). In southern Europe both antecedent soil moisture and extreme precipitation significantly contribute to flood changes, and their relative importance depends on flood magnitude.
Theresa C. van Hateren, Marco Chini, Patrick Matgen, and Adriaan J. Teuling
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-583, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-583, 2020
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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Agricultural droughts occur when the water content of the soil diminishes to such a level that vegetation is negatively impacted. Here we show that, although they are classified as the same type of drought, substantial differences between soil moisture and vegetation droughts exist. This duality is not included in the term agricultural drought, and thus is a potential issue in drought research. We argue that a distinction should be made between soil moisture and vegetation drought events.
Renaud Hostache, Dominik Rains, Kaniska Mallick, Marco Chini, Ramona Pelich, Hans Lievens, Fabrizio Fenicia, Giovanni Corato, Niko E. C. Verhoest, and Patrick Matgen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4793–4812, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4793-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4793-2020, 2020
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Our objective is to investigate how satellite microwave sensors, particularly Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), may help to reduce errors and uncertainties in soil moisture simulations with a large-scale conceptual hydro-meteorological model. We assimilated a long time series of SMOS observations into a hydro-meteorological model and showed that this helps to improve model predictions. This work therefore contributes to the development of faster and more accurate drought prediction tools.
J. Zhao, M. Chini, R. Pelich, P. Matgen, R. Hostache, S. Cao, and W. Wagner
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., V-1-2020, 395–400, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-1-2020-395-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-1-2020-395-2020, 2020
W. Wagner, V. Freeman, S. Cao, P. Matgen, M. Chini, P. Salamon, N. McCormick, S. Martinis, B. Bauer-Marschallinger, C. Navacchi, M. Schramm, C. Reimer, and C. Briese
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., V-3-2020, 641–648, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2020-641-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2020-641-2020, 2020
Doris Duethmann, Günter Blöschl, and Juraj Parajka
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3493–3511, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3493-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3493-2020, 2020
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We investigate why a conceptual hydrological model failed to correctly predict observed discharge changes in response to increasing precipitation and air temperature in 156 Austrian catchments. Simulations indicate that poor model performance is related to two problems, namely a model structure that neglects changes in vegetation dynamics and inhomogeneities in precipitation data caused by changes in stations density with time. Other hypotheses did not improve simulated discharge changes.
Miriam Bertola, Alberto Viglione, David Lun, Julia Hall, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1805–1822, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1805-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1805-2020, 2020
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We investigate changes that occurred in small vs. big flood events and in small vs. large catchments across Europe over 5 decades. Annual maximum discharge series between 1960 and 2010 from 2370 gauges in Europe are analysed. Distinctive patterns of flood regime change are identified for large regions across Europe, which depend on flood magnitude and catchment size.
Sean F. Cleator, Sandy P. Harrison, Nancy K. Nichols, I. Colin Prentice, and Ian Roulstone
Clim. Past, 16, 699–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-699-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-699-2020, 2020
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We present geographically explicit reconstructions of seasonal temperature and annual moisture variables at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), 21 000 years ago. The reconstructions use existing site-based estimates of climate, interpolated in space and time in a physically consistent way using climate model simulations. The reconstructions give a much better picture of the LGM climate and will provide a robust evaluation of how well state-of-the-art climate models simulate large climate changes.
Jérémy Lepesqueur, Renaud Hostache, Núria Martínez-Carreras, Emmanuelle Montargès-Pelletier, and Christophe Hissler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3901–3915, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3901-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3901-2019, 2019
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This article evaluates the influence of sediment representation in a sediment transport model. A short-term simulation is used to assess how far changing the sediment characteristics in the modelling experiment changes riverbed evolution and sediment redistribution during a small flood event. The study shows in particular that representing sediment with extended grain-size and grain-density distributions allows for improving model accuracy and performances.
Elizabeth S. Cooper, Sarah L. Dance, Javier García-Pintado, Nancy K. Nichols, and Polly J. Smith
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2541–2559, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2541-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2541-2019, 2019
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Flooding from rivers is a huge and costly problem worldwide. Computer simulations can help to warn people if and when they are likely to be affected by river floodwater, but such predictions are not always accurate or reliable. Information about flood extent from satellites can help to keep these forecasts on track. Here we investigate different ways of using information from satellite images and look at the effect on computer predictions. This will help to develop flood warning systems.
Nevil Quinn, Günter Blöschl, András Bárdossy, Attilio Castellarin, Martyn Clark, Christophe Cudennec, Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Upmanu Lall, Lubomir Lichner, Juraj Parajka, Christa D. Peters-Lidard, Graham Sander, Hubert Savenije, Keith Smettem, Harry Vereecken, Alberto Viglione, Patrick Willems, Andy Wood, Ross Woods, Chong-Yu Xu, and Erwin Zehe
Proc. IAHS, 380, 3–8, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-380-3-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-380-3-2018, 2018
Christian Reszler, Jürgen Komma, Hermann Stadler, Elmar Strobl, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 6147–6161, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6147-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6147-2018, 2018
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Karst aquifers are vulnerable to pollution due to the typically short particle travel times. As the rainwater runs off on the surface it may collect contamination before infiltrating. This paper proposes a new field-mapping method for the ability of the landscape to produce and convey surface runoff. The method is based on local data collection in the field, and a visual assessment of surface runoff traces from a distance, which makes it suitable for larger areas than traditional field mapping.
Barbara Glaser, Marta Antonelli, Marco Chini, Laurent Pfister, and Julian Klaus
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5987–6003, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5987-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5987-2018, 2018
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We demonstrate how thermal infrared images can be used for mapping the appearance and disappearance of water at the surface. The use of thermal infrared images allows for mapping this appearance and disappearance for various temporal and spatial resolutions, and the images can be understood intuitively. We explain the necessary steps in detail, from image acquisition to final processing, by relying on image examples and experience from an 18-month mapping campaign.
Nevil Quinn, Günter Blöschl, András Bárdossy, Attilio Castellarin, Martyn Clark, Christophe Cudennec, Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Upmanu Lall, Lubomir Lichner, Juraj Parajka, Christa D. Peters-Lidard, Graham Sander, Hubert Savenije, Keith Smettem, Harry Vereecken, Alberto Viglione, Patrick Willems, Andy Wood, Ross Woods, Chong-Yu Xu, and Erwin Zehe
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5735–5739, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5735-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5735-2018, 2018
Doris Duethmann and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5143–5158, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5143-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5143-2018, 2018
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We analyze changes in catchment evaporation estimated from the water balances of 156 catchments in Austria over 1977–2014, as well as the possible causes of these changes. Our results show that catchment evaporation increased on average by 29 ± 14 mm yr−1 decade−1. We attribute this increase to changes in atmospheric demand (based on reference and pan evaporation), changes in vegetation (quantified by a satellite-based vegetation index), and changes in precipitation.
Alessio Pugliese, Simone Persiano, Stefano Bagli, Paolo Mazzoli, Juraj Parajka, Berit Arheimer, René Capell, Alberto Montanari, Günter Blöschl, and Attilio Castellarin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4633–4648, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4633-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4633-2018, 2018
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This research work focuses on the development of an innovative method for enhancing the predictive capability of macro-scale rainfall–runoff models by means of a geostatistical apporach. In our method, one can get enhanced streamflow simulations without any further model calibration. Indeed, this method is neither computational nor data-intensive and is implemented only using observed streamflow data and a GIS vector layer with catchment boundaries. Assessments are performed in the Tyrol region.
Joanne A. Waller, Javier García-Pintado, David C. Mason, Sarah L. Dance, and Nancy K. Nichols
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3983–3992, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3983-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3983-2018, 2018
Julia Hall and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3883–3901, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3883-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3883-2018, 2018
Mehdi Rahmati, Lutz Weihermüller, Jan Vanderborght, Yakov A. Pachepsky, Lili Mao, Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi, Niloofar Moosavi, Hossein Kheirfam, Carsten Montzka, Kris Van Looy, Brigitta Toth, Zeinab Hazbavi, Wafa Al Yamani, Ammar A. Albalasmeh, Ma'in Z. Alghzawi, Rafael Angulo-Jaramillo, Antônio Celso Dantas Antonino, George Arampatzis, Robson André Armindo, Hossein Asadi, Yazidhi Bamutaze, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Béatrice Béchet, Fabian Becker, Günter Blöschl, Klaus Bohne, Isabelle Braud, Clara Castellano, Artemi Cerdà, Maha Chalhoub, Rogerio Cichota, Milena Císlerová, Brent Clothier, Yves Coquet, Wim Cornelis, Corrado Corradini, Artur Paiva Coutinho, Muriel Bastista de Oliveira, José Ronaldo de Macedo, Matheus Fonseca Durães, Hojat Emami, Iraj Eskandari, Asghar Farajnia, Alessia Flammini, Nándor Fodor, Mamoun Gharaibeh, Mohamad Hossein Ghavimipanah, Teamrat A. Ghezzehei, Simone Giertz, Evangelos G. Hatzigiannakis, Rainer Horn, Juan José Jiménez, Diederik Jacques, Saskia Deborah Keesstra, Hamid Kelishadi, Mahboobeh Kiani-Harchegani, Mehdi Kouselou, Madan Kumar Jha, Laurent Lassabatere, Xiaoyan Li, Mark A. Liebig, Lubomír Lichner, María Victoria López, Deepesh Machiwal, Dirk Mallants, Micael Stolben Mallmann, Jean Dalmo de Oliveira Marques, Miles R. Marshall, Jan Mertens, Félicien Meunier, Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, Binayak P. Mohanty, Mansonia Pulido-Moncada, Suzana Montenegro, Renato Morbidelli, David Moret-Fernández, Ali Akbar Moosavi, Mohammad Reza Mosaddeghi, Seyed Bahman Mousavi, Hasan Mozaffari, Kamal Nabiollahi, Mohammad Reza Neyshabouri, Marta Vasconcelos Ottoni, Theophilo Benedicto Ottoni Filho, Mohammad Reza Pahlavan-Rad, Andreas Panagopoulos, Stephan Peth, Pierre-Emmanuel Peyneau, Tommaso Picciafuoco, Jean Poesen, Manuel Pulido, Dalvan José Reinert, Sabine Reinsch, Meisam Rezaei, Francis Parry Roberts, David Robinson, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Otto Corrêa Rotunno Filho, Tadaomi Saito, Hideki Suganuma, Carla Saltalippi, Renáta Sándor, Brigitta Schütt, Manuel Seeger, Nasrollah Sepehrnia, Ehsan Sharifi Moghaddam, Manoj Shukla, Shiraki Shutaro, Ricardo Sorando, Ajayi Asishana Stanley, Peter Strauss, Zhongbo Su, Ruhollah Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi, Encarnación Taguas, Wenceslau Geraldes Teixeira, Ali Reza Vaezi, Mehdi Vafakhah, Tomas Vogel, Iris Vogeler, Jana Votrubova, Steffen Werner, Thierry Winarski, Deniz Yilmaz, Michael H. Young, Steffen Zacharias, Yijian Zeng, Ying Zhao, Hong Zhao, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1237–1263, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1237-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1237-2018, 2018
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This paper presents and analyzes a global database of soil infiltration data, the SWIG database, for the first time. In total, 5023 infiltration curves were collected across all continents in the SWIG database. These data were either provided and quality checked by the scientists or they were digitized from published articles. We are convinced that the SWIG database will allow for a better parameterization of the infiltration process in land surface models and for testing infiltration models.
Marlies Holkje Barendrecht, Alberto Viglione, Heidi Kreibich, Sergiy Vorogushyn, Bruno Merz, and Günter Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 379, 193–198, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-379-193-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-379-193-2018, 2018
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The aim of this paper is to assess whether a Socio-Hydrological model can be calibrated to data artificially generated from it. This is not trivial because the model is highly nonlinear and it is not clear what amount of data would be needed for calibration. We demonstrate that, using Bayesian inference, the parameters of the model can be estimated quite accurately from relatively few data, which could be available in real case studies.
Luca Cenci, Luca Pulvirenti, Giorgio Boni, Marco Chini, Patrick Matgen, Simone Gabellani, Giuseppe Squicciarino, and Nazzareno Pierdicca
Adv. Geosci., 44, 89–100, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-44-89-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-44-89-2017, 2017
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This research aims at improving hydrological modelling skills of flash flood prediction by exploiting earth observation data. To this aim, high spatial/moderate temporal resolution soil moisture maps, derived from Sentinel 1 acquisitions, were used in a data assimilation framework. Findings revealed the potential of Sentinel 1-based soil moisture data assimilation for flash flood risk reduction and improved our understanding of the capabilities of the aforementioned satellite-derived product.
Bertrand Bonan, Nancy K. Nichols, Michael J. Baines, and Dale Partridge
Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 24, 515–534, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-24-515-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-24-515-2017, 2017
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We develop data assimilation techniques for numerical models using moving mesh methods. Moving meshes are valuable for explicitly tracking interfaces and boundaries in evolving systems. The application of the techniques is demonstrated on a one-dimensional
model of an ice sheet. It is shown, using various types of observations, that
the techniques predict the evolution of the edges of the ice sheet and its height accurately and efficiently.
Sylvain Delahaies, Ian Roulstone, and Nancy Nichols
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 2635–2650, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2635-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2635-2017, 2017
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Carbon is a fundamental constituent of life and understanding its global cycle is a key challenge for the modelling of the Earth system. We use a variational method to estimate parameters and initial conditions for the carbon cycle model DALECv2 using multiple sources of observations. We develop a methodology that helps understanding the nature of the inverse problem and evaluating solution strategies, then we demonstrate the efficiency of the variational method in an experiment using real data.
Melissa Wood, Renaud Hostache, Jeffrey Neal, Thorsten Wagener, Laura Giustarini, Marco Chini, Giovani Corato, Patrick Matgen, and Paul Bates
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 4983–4997, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4983-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4983-2016, 2016
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We propose a methodology to calibrate the bankfull channel depth and roughness parameters in a 2-D hydraulic model using an archive of medium-resolution SAR satellite-derived flood extent maps. We used an identifiability methodology to locate the parameters and suggest the SAR images which could be optimally used for model calibration. We found that SAR images acquired around the flood peak provide best calibration potential for the depth parameter, improving when SAR images are combined.
Gregor Laaha, Juraj Parajka, Alberto Viglione, Daniel Koffler, Klaus Haslinger, Wolfgang Schöner, Judith Zehetgruber, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3967–3985, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3967-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3967-2016, 2016
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We present a framework for assessing climate impacts on future low flows that combines different sources of information termed pillars. To illustrate the framework, three pillars are chosen: low-flow observation, climate observations and climate projections. By combining different sources of information we aim at more robust projections than obtained from each pillar alone. The viability of the framework is illustrated for four example catchments from Austria.
Juraj Parajka, Alfred Paul Blaschke, Günter Blöschl, Klaus Haslinger, Gerold Hepp, Gregor Laaha, Wolfgang Schöner, Helene Trautvetter, Alberto Viglione, and Matthias Zessner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2085–2101, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2085-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2085-2016, 2016
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Streamflow estimation during low-flow conditions is important for estimation of environmental flows, effluent water quality, hydropower operations, etc. However, it is not clear how the uncertainties in assumptions used in the projections translate into uncertainty of estimated future low flows. The objective of the study is to explore the relative role of hydrologic model calibration and climate scenarios in the uncertainty of low-flow projections in Austria.
Günter Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 373, 57–60, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-57-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-57-2016, 2016
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The spatial dimensions of water management heavily rely on accurate hydrological estimates in the landscape. This has been the focus of the Predictions in Ungauged Basins (PUB) initiative of the IAHS. The initiative has significantly advanced the science by furthering process understanding and estimation methods, and by synthesising the knowledge across processes, places and scales. Ongoing research on PUB is increasingly accounts for the feedbacks between humans and water in the landscape.
Ján Szolgay, Ladislav Gaál, Tomáš Bacigál, Silvia Kohnová, Kamila Hlavčová, Roman Výleta, and Günter Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 373, 61–67, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-61-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-61-2016, 2016
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The design of hydraulic structures where storage is involved, requires estimates of joint probability distribution of flood volumes and flood peaks. The problem of choosing a joint distribution was so far approached more from a statistical point of view. In the paper the suitability of various copula models of this relationships was analysed with a particular focus on the type and seasonality of flood generation processes in a regional context.
Serena Ceola, Alberto Montanari, Juraj Parajka, Alberto Viglione, Günter Blöschl, and Francesco Laio
Proc. IAHS, 373, 131–136, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-131-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-373-131-2016, 2016
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This paper analyses the evolution in space and time of human presence in terms of settlements and associated economic activities along the Eastern Alpine river network in Austria and Italy by using high-resolution satellite images. To this aim, nocturnal artificial luminosity images and the geographical location of streams and rivers are employed. Our results reveal a significant increase of nighttime lights, and thus of human presence.
Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Günter Blöschl, András Bárdossy, Christophe Cudennec, Denis Hughes, Alberto Montanari, Insa Neuweiler, and Hubert Savenije
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1081–1084, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1081-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1081-2016, 2016
G. Blöschl, A. P. Blaschke, M. Broer, C. Bucher, G. Carr, X. Chen, A. Eder, M. Exner-Kittridge, A. Farnleitner, A. Flores-Orozco, P. Haas, P. Hogan, A. Kazemi Amiri, M. Oismüller, J. Parajka, R. Silasari, P. Stadler, P. Strauss, M. Vreugdenhil, W. Wagner, and M. Zessner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 227–255, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-227-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-227-2016, 2016
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This paper illustrates the experimental and monitoring set-up of the 66 ha Hydrological Open Air Laboratory (HOAL) in Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria, which allows meaningful hypothesis testing. The HOAL catchment features a range of different runoff generation processes (surface runoff, springs, tile drains, wetlands), and is convenient from a logistic point of view as all instruments can be connected to the power grid and a high-speed glassfibre local area network.
B. Bonan, M. J. Baines, N. K. Nichols, and D. Partridge
The Cryosphere, 10, 1–14, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1-2016, 2016
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This paper introduce a moving-point approach to model the flow of ice sheets. This particular moving-grid numerical approach is based on the conservation of local masses. This allows the ice sheet margins to be tracked explicitly. A finite-difference moving-point scheme is derived and applied in a simplified context (1-D). The conservation method is also suitable for 2-D scenarios. This paper is a first step towards applications of the conservation method to realistic 2-D cases.
R. A. P. Perdigão and G. Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 370, 125–130, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-125-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-125-2015, 2015
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Flood regimes are behavioural patterns in floods across a wide variety of events under diverse circumstances. Our goal is to provide a unifying framework to address those regimes, how and why they change in space and time. For that purpose, we introduce a general model of flood regime dynamics under interacting natural factors and validate it with observations spanning a great diversity of hydrological settings. The model ultimately brings better flood understanding and forecasting abilities.
J. Hall, B. Arheimer, G. T. Aronica, A. Bilibashi, M. Boháč, O. Bonacci, M. Borga, P. Burlando, A. Castellarin, G. B. Chirico, P. Claps, K. Fiala, L. Gaál, L. Gorbachova, A. Gül, J. Hannaford, A. Kiss, T. Kjeldsen, S. Kohnová, J. J. Koskela, N. Macdonald, M. Mavrova-Guirguinova, O. Ledvinka, L. Mediero, B. Merz, R. Merz, P. Molnar, A. Montanari, M. Osuch, J. Parajka, R. A. P. Perdigão, I. Radevski, B. Renard, M. Rogger, J. L. Salinas, E. Sauquet, M. Šraj, J. Szolgay, A. Viglione, E. Volpi, D. Wilson, K. Zaimi, and G. Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 370, 89–95, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-89-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-89-2015, 2015
J. Szolgay, L. Gaál, S. Kohnová, K. Hlavčová, R. Výleta, T. Bacigál, and G. Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 370, 183–188, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-183-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-183-2015, 2015
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The design of hydraulic structures where storage is involved, requires estimates of flood volumes related to flood peaks. The problem was so far approached more from a statistical point of view. In the paper it was attempted to better understand the hydrological factors controlling this relationship. The suitability of various copula models of the relationships between flood peaks and flood volumes was analysed with a particular focus on the type and seasonality of flood generation processes.
J. Grames, A. Prskawetz, D. Grass, and G. Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 369, 3–6, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-369-3-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-369-3-2015, 2015
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Communities live close to rivers and therefore are confronted with the risk of flooding. It is important to understand the drivers and mechanisms of the consumption and investment behavior of these societies in order to identify an optimal investment strategy into flood defense capital. To solve such an economic optimization model we develop a periodic water function to approximate the former discrete stochastic time series of rainfall events and apply it to an existing socio-hydrology model.
S. Ceola, B. Arheimer, E. Baratti, G. Blöschl, R. Capell, A. Castellarin, J. Freer, D. Han, M. Hrachowitz, Y. Hundecha, C. Hutton, G. Lindström, A. Montanari, R. Nijzink, J. Parajka, E. Toth, A. Viglione, and T. Wagener
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2101–2117, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2101-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2101-2015, 2015
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We present the outcomes of a collaborative hydrological experiment undertaken by five different international research groups in a virtual laboratory. Moving from the definition of accurate protocols, a rainfall-runoff model was independently applied by the research groups, which then engaged in a comparative discussion. The results revealed that sharing protocols and running the experiment within a controlled environment is fundamental for ensuring experiment repeatability and reproducibility.
Z. H. He, J. Parajka, F. Q. Tian, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 4773–4789, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4773-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4773-2014, 2014
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In this paper, we propose a new method for estimating the snowmelt degree-day factor (DDFS) directly from MODIS snow covered area (SCA) and ground-based snow depth data without calibration. Snow density is estimated as the ratio between observed precipitation and changes in the snow volume for days with snow accumulation. DDFS values are estimated as the ratio between changes in the snow water equivalent and difference between the daily temperature and a threshold value for days with snowmelt.
A. Piscini, M. Picchiani, M. Chini, S. Corradini, L. Merucci, F. Del Frate, and S. Stramondo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 4023–4047, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4023-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4023-2014, 2014
R. Hostache, C. Hissler, P. Matgen, C. Guignard, and P. Bates
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 3539–3551, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3539-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3539-2014, 2014
J. Hall, B. Arheimer, M. Borga, R. Brázdil, P. Claps, A. Kiss, T. R. Kjeldsen, J. Kriaučiūnienė, Z. W. Kundzewicz, M. Lang, M. C. Llasat, N. Macdonald, N. McIntyre, L. Mediero, B. Merz, R. Merz, P. Molnar, A. Montanari, C. Neuhold, J. Parajka, R. A. P. Perdigão, L. Plavcová, M. Rogger, J. L. Salinas, E. Sauquet, C. Schär, J. Szolgay, A. Viglione, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 2735–2772, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2735-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2735-2014, 2014
B. Merz, J. Aerts, K. Arnbjerg-Nielsen, M. Baldi, A. Becker, A. Bichet, G. Blöschl, L. M. Bouwer, A. Brauer, F. Cioffi, J. M. Delgado, M. Gocht, F. Guzzetti, S. Harrigan, K. Hirschboeck, C. Kilsby, W. Kron, H.-H. Kwon, U. Lall, R. Merz, K. Nissen, P. Salvatti, T. Swierczynski, U. Ulbrich, A. Viglione, P. J. Ward, M. Weiler, B. Wilhelm, and M. Nied
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 1921–1942, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-1921-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-1921-2014, 2014
G. Blöschl, A. Bárdossy, D. Koutsoyiannis, Z. W. Kundzewicz, I. Littlewood, A. Montanari, and H. Savenije
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 2433–2435, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2433-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2433-2014, 2014
H. M. Holländer, H. Bormann, T. Blume, W. Buytaert, G. B. Chirico, J.-F. Exbrayat, D. Gustafsson, H. Hölzel, T. Krauße, P. Kraft, S. Stoll, G. Blöschl, and H. Flühler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 2065–2085, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2065-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-2065-2014, 2014
A. Eder, M. Exner-Kittridge, P. Strauss, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 1043–1052, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1043-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1043-2014, 2014
U. Ehret, H. V. Gupta, M. Sivapalan, S. V. Weijs, S. J. Schymanski, G. Blöschl, A. N. Gelfan, C. Harman, A. Kleidon, T. A. Bogaard, D. Wang, T. Wagener, U. Scherer, E. Zehe, M. F. P. Bierkens, G. Di Baldassarre, J. Parajka, L. P. H. van Beek, A. van Griensven, M. C. Westhoff, and H. C. Winsemius
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 649–671, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-649-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-649-2014, 2014
H. V. Gupta, C. Perrin, G. Blöschl, A. Montanari, R. Kumar, M. Clark, and V. Andréassian
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 463–477, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-463-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-463-2014, 2014
G. Blöschl, T. Nester, J. Komma, J. Parajka, and R. A. P. Perdigão
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 5197–5212, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-5197-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-5197-2013, 2013
S. E. Thompson, M. Sivapalan, C. J. Harman, V. Srinivasan, M. R. Hipsey, P. Reed, A. Montanari, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 5013–5039, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-5013-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-5013-2013, 2013
G. Di Baldassarre, A. Viglione, G. Carr, L. Kuil, J. L. Salinas, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 3295–3303, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3295-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3295-2013, 2013
J. L. Salinas, G. Laaha, M. Rogger, J. Parajka, A. Viglione, M. Sivapalan, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 2637–2652, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2637-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2637-2013, 2013
A. Viglione, J. Parajka, M. Rogger, J. L. Salinas, G. Laaha, M. Sivapalan, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 2263–2279, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2263-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2263-2013, 2013
J. Parajka, A. Viglione, M. Rogger, J. L. Salinas, M. Sivapalan, and G. Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 1783–1795, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-1783-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-1783-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Rivers and Lakes | Techniques and Approaches: Remote Sensing and GIS
Effect of the spatial resolution of digital terrain data obtained by drone on urban fluvial flood modeling of mountainous regions
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A mathematical model to improve water storage of glacial lake prediction towards addressing glacial lake outburst floods
High-resolution automated detection of headwater streambeds for large watersheds
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Deriving transmission losses in ephemeral rivers using satellite imagery and machine learning
Long-term water clarity patterns of lakes across China using Landsat series imagery from 1985 to 2020
Changes in glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin in the central Himalayas
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Evaluation of historic and operational satellite radar altimetry missions for constructing consistent long-term lake water level records
Sentinel-3 radar altimetry for river monitoring – a catchment-scale evaluation of satellite water surface elevation from Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B
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Observing river stages using unmanned aerial vehicles
Quantification of the contribution of the Beauce groundwater aquifer to the discharge of the Loire River using thermal infrared satellite imaging
Swath-altimetry measurements of the main stem Amazon River: measurement errors and hydraulic implications
Satellite radar altimetry for monitoring small rivers and lakes in Indonesia
Quantifying river form variations in the Mississippi Basin using remotely sensed imagery
River ice flux and water velocities along a 600 km-long reach of Lena River, Siberia, from satellite stereo
Geometric dependency of Tibetan lakes on glacial runoff
Assessing the potential hydrological impact of the Gibe III Dam on Lake Turkana water level using multi-source satellite data
River monitoring from satellite radar altimetry in the Zambezi River basin
Flood occurrence mapping of the middle Mahakam lowland area using satellite radar
Satellite remote sensing of water turbidity in Alqueva reservoir and implications on lake modelling
Hydro-physical processes at the plunge point: an analysis using satellite and in situ data
Regional scale analysis of landform configuration with base-level (isobase) maps
Reconstructing the Tropical Storm Ketsana flood event in Marikina River, Philippines
Reading the bed morphology of a mountain stream: a geomorphometric study on high-resolution topographic data
Xingyu Zhou, Lunwu Mou, Tianqi Ao, Xiaorong Huang, and Haiyan Yang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 1963–1980, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1963-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1963-2025, 2025
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This study explores using drone-acquired digital terrain models (DTMs) for flood modeling of mountainous urban rivers. Terrain analysis indicates that a DTM resolution of 1 m–5 m is optimal for accurate flood modeling. In larger cities with non-extreme discharge volumes, a resolution of 5 m–10 m can suffice for modeling inundation areas, although it may slightly overestimate flood depth. This provides a balance between model accuracy and processing costs.
Joëlle C. Rieder, Franziska Aemisegger, Elad Dente, and Moshe Armon
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 1395–1427, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1395-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1395-2025, 2025
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The Sahara was wetter in the past and may become wetter in the future. Lake remnants are evidence of the desert’s wetter past. If the Sahara gets wetter in the future, these lakes may serve as a water resource. However, it is unclear how these lakes get filled and how moisture is carried into the desert and converted into rain in the first place. Therefore, we examine processes currently leading to the filling of a dry lake in the Sahara, which can help assess future water availability.
Miaomiao Qi, Shiyin Liu, Zhifang Zhao, Yongpeng Gao, Fuming Xie, Georg Veh, Letian Xiao, Jinlong Jing, Yu Zhu, and Kunpeng Wu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 969–982, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-969-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-969-2025, 2025
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Here we propose a new mathematically robust and cost-effective model to improve glacial lake water storage estimation. We have also provided a dataset of measured water storage in glacial lakes through field depth measurements. Our model incorporates an automated calculation process and outperforms previous ones, achieving an average relative error of only 14 %. This research offers a valuable tool for researchers seeking to improve the risk assessment of glacial lake outburst floods.
Francis Lessard, Naïm Perreault, and Sylvain Jutras
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1027–1040, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1027-2024, 2024
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Headwaters streams, which are small streams at the top of a watershed, represent two-thirds of the total length of streams, yet their exact locations are still unknown. This article compares different techniques in order to remotely detect the position of these streams. Thus, a database of more than 464 km of headwaters was used to explain what drives their presence. A technique developed in this article makes it possible to detect headwater streams with more accuracy, despite the land uses.
Sijia Li, Shiqi Xu, Kaishan Song, Tiit Kutser, Zhidan Wen, Ge Liu, Yingxin Shang, Lili Lyu, Hui Tao, Xiang Wang, Lele Zhang, and Fangfang Chen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3581–3599, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3581-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3581-2023, 2023
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1. Blue/red and green/red Rrs(λ) are sensitive to lake TSI. 2. Machine learning algorithms reveal optimum performance of TSI retrieval. 3. An accurate TSI model was achieved by MSI imagery data and XGBoost. 4. Trophic status in five limnetic regions was qualified. 5. The 10m TSI products were first produced in 555 typical lakes in China.
Mathilde de Fleury, Laurent Kergoat, and Manuela Grippa
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2189–2204, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2189-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2189-2023, 2023
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This study surveys small lakes and reservoirs, which are vital resources in the Sahel, through a multi-sensor satellite approach. Water height changes compared to evaporation losses in dry seasons highlight anthropogenic withdrawals and water supplies due to river and groundwater connections. Some reservoirs display weak withdrawals, suggesting low usage may be due to security issues. The
satellite-derived water balance thus proved effective in estimating water resources in semi-arid areas.
Antoine Di Ciacca, Scott Wilson, Jasmine Kang, and Thomas Wöhling
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 703–722, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-703-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-703-2023, 2023
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We present a novel framework to estimate how much water is lost by ephemeral rivers using satellite imagery and machine learning. This framework proved to be an efficient approach, requiring less fieldwork and generating more data than traditional methods, at a similar accuracy. Furthermore, applying this framework improved our understanding of the water transfer at our study site. Our framework is easily transferable to other ephemeral rivers and could be applied to long time series.
Xidong Chen, Liangyun Liu, Xiao Zhang, Junsheng Li, Shenglei Wang, Yuan Gao, and Jun Mi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3517–3536, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3517-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3517-2022, 2022
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A 30 m LAke Water Secchi Depth (LAWSD30) dataset of China was first developed for 1985–2020, and national-scale water clarity estimations of lakes in China over the past 35 years were analyzed. Lake clarity in China exhibited a significant downward trend before the 21st century, but improved after 2000. The developed LAWSD30 dataset and the evaluation results can provide effective guidance for water preservation and restoration.
Pengcheng Su, Jingjing Liu, Yong Li, Wei Liu, Yang Wang, Chun Ma, and Qimin Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5879–5903, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5879-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5879-2021, 2021
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We identified ± 150 glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin (central Himalayas), and we explore the changes in five lakes over the last few decades based on remote sensing images, field surveys, and satellite photos. We reconstruct the lake basin topography, calculate the water capacity, and propose a water balance equation (WBE) to explain glacial lake evolution in response to local weather conditions. The WBE also provides a framework for the water balance in rivers from glacierized sources.
Connor Mullen, Gopal Penny, and Marc F. Müller
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2373–2386, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2373-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2373-2021, 2021
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The level of lake water is rapidly changing globally, and long-term, consistent observations of lake water extents are essential for ascertaining and attributing these changes. These data are rarely collected and challenging to obtain from satellite imagery. The proposed method addresses these challenges without any local data, and it was successfully validated against lakes with and without ground data. The algorithm is a valuable tool for the reliable historical water extent of changing lakes.
Song Shu, Hongxing Liu, Richard A. Beck, Frédéric Frappart, Johanna Korhonen, Minxuan Lan, Min Xu, Bo Yang, and Yan Huang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1643–1670, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1643-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1643-2021, 2021
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This study comprehensively evaluated 11 satellite radar altimetry missions (including their official retrackers) for lake water level retrieval and developed a strategy for constructing consistent long-term water level records for inland lakes. It is a two-step bias correction and normalization procedure. First, we use Jason-2 as the initial reference to form a consistent TOPEX/Poseidon–Jason series. Then, we use this as the reference to remove the biases with other radar altimetry missions.
Cecile M. M. Kittel, Liguang Jiang, Christian Tøttrup, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 333–357, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-333-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-333-2021, 2021
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In poorly instrumented catchments, satellite altimetry offers a unique possibility to obtain water level observations. Improvements in instrument design have increased the capabilities of altimeters to observe inland water bodies, including rivers. In this study, we demonstrate how a dense Sentinel-3 water surface elevation monitoring network can be established at catchment scale using publicly accessible processing platforms. The network can serve as a useful supplement to ground observations.
Jean Bergeron, Gabriela Siles, Robert Leconte, Mélanie Trudel, Damien Desroches, and Daniel L. Peters
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5985–6000, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5985-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5985-2020, 2020
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We want to assess how well the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will be able to provide information on lake surface water elevation and how much of an impact wind conditions (speed and direction) can have on these retrievals.
Charlotte Marie Emery, Sylvain Biancamaria, Aaron Boone, Sophie Ricci, Mélanie C. Rochoux, Vanessa Pedinotti, and Cédric H. David
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2207–2233, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2207-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2207-2020, 2020
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The flow of freshwater in rivers is commonly studied with computer programs known as hydrological models. An important component of those programs lies in the description of the river environment, such as the channel resistance to the flow, that is critical to accurately predict the river flow but is still not well known. Satellite data can be combined with models to enrich our knowledge of these features. Here, we show that the coming SWOT mission can help better know this channel resistance.
Anette Eltner, Hannes Sardemann, and Jens Grundmann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1429–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1429-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1429-2020, 2020
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An automatic workflow is introduced to measure surface flow velocities in rivers. The provided tool enables the measurement of spatially distributed surface flow velocities independently of the image acquisition perspective. Furthermore, the study illustrates how river discharge in previously ungauged and unmeasured regions can be retrieved, considering the image-based flow velocities and digital elevation models of the studied river reach reconstructed with UAV photogrammetry.
Andreas Kääb, Bas Altena, and Joseph Mascaro
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4233–4247, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4233-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4233-2019, 2019
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Knowledge of water surface velocities in rivers is useful for understanding a wide range of processes and systems, but is difficult to measure over large reaches. Here, we present a novel method to exploit near-simultaneous imagery produced by the Planet cubesat constellation to track river ice floes and estimate water surface velocities. We demonstrate the method for a 60 km long reach of the Amur River and a 200 km long reach of the Yukon River.
Najib Abou Karaki, Simone Fiaschi, Killian Paenen, Mohammad Al-Awabdeh, and Damien Closson
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2111–2127, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2111-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2111-2019, 2019
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The Dead Sea shore is a unique salt karst system. Development began in the 1960s, when the water resources that used to feed the Dead Sea were diverted. The water level is falling at more than 1 m yr−1, causing a hydrostatic disequilibrium between the underground fresh water and the base level. Despite these conditions, tourism development projects have flourished. Here, we show that a 10 km long strip of coast that encompasses several resorts is exposed to subsidence, sinkholes and landslides.
Tim Busker, Ad de Roo, Emiliano Gelati, Christian Schwatke, Marko Adamovic, Berny Bisselink, Jean-Francois Pekel, and Andrew Cottam
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 669–690, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-669-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-669-2019, 2019
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This paper estimates lake and reservoir volume variations over all continents from 1984 to 2015 using remote sensing alone. This study improves on previous methodologies by using the Global Surface Water dataset developed by the Joint Research Centre, which allowed for volume calculations on a global scale, a high resolution (30 m) and back to 1984 using very detailed lake area dynamics. Using 18 in situ volume time series as validation, our volume estimates showed a high accuracy.
Andrew Ogilvie, Gilles Belaud, Sylvain Massuel, Mark Mulligan, Patrick Le Goulven, and Roger Calvez
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4349–4380, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4349-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4349-2018, 2018
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Accurate monitoring of surface water extent is essential for hydrological investigation of small lakes (1–10 ha), which supports millions of smallholder farmers. Landsat monitoring of long-term surface water dynamics is shown to be suited to lakes over 3 ha based on extensive hydrometric data from seven field sites over 15 years. MNDWI water classification optimized here for the specificities of small water bodies reduced mean surface area errors by 57 % compared to published global datasets.
Filippo Bandini, Daniel Olesen, Jakob Jakobsen, Cecile Marie Margaretha Kittel, Sheng Wang, Monica Garcia, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4165–4181, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, 2018
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Water depth observations are essential data to forecast flood hazard, predict sediment transport, or monitor in-stream habitats. We retrieved bathymetry with a sonar wired to a drone. This system can improve the speed and spatial scale at which water depth observations are retrieved. Observations can be retrieved also in unnavigable or inaccessible rivers. Water depth observations showed an accuracy of ca. 2.1 % of actual depth, without being affected by water turbidity or bed material.
Kiana Zolfaghari, Claude R. Duguay, and Homa Kheyrollah Pour
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 377–391, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-377-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-377-2017, 2017
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A remotely-sensed water clarity value (Kd) was applied to improve FLake model simulations of Lake Erie thermal structure using a time-invariant (constant) annual value as well as monthly values of Kd. The sensitivity of FLake model to Kd values was studied. It was shown that the model is very sensitive to variations in Kd when the value is less than 0.5 m-1.
Tomasz Niedzielski, Matylda Witek, and Waldemar Spallek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3193–3205, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3193-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3193-2016, 2016
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We study detectability of changes in water surface areas on orthophotomaps. We use unmanned aerial vehicles to acquire visible light photographs. We offer a new method for detecting changes in water surface areas and river stages. The approach is based on the application of the Student's t test, in asymptotic and bootstrapped versions. We test our approach on aerial photos taken during 3-year observational campaign. We detect transitions between all characteristic river stages using drone data.
E. Lalot, F. Curie, V. Wawrzyniak, F. Baratelli, S. Schomburgk, N. Flipo, H. Piegay, and F. Moatar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4479–4492, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4479-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4479-2015, 2015
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This work shows that satellite thermal infrared images (LANDSAT) can be used to locate and quantify groundwater discharge into a large river (Loire River, France - 100 to 300 m wide). Groundwater discharge rate is found to be highly variable with time and space and maximum during flow recession periods and in winter. The main identified groundwater discharge area into the Loire River corresponds to a known discharge area of the Beauce aquifer.
M. D. Wilson, M. Durand, H. C. Jung, and D. Alsdorf
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1943–1959, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1943-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1943-2015, 2015
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We use a virtual mission analysis on a ca. 260km reach of the central Amazon River to assess the hydraulic implications of potential measurement errors in swath-altimetry imagery from the forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission. We estimated water surface slope from imagery of water heights and then derived channel discharge. Errors in estimated discharge were lowest when using longer reach lengths and channel cross-sectional averaging to estimate water slopes.
Y. B. Sulistioadi, K.-H. Tseng, C. K. Shum, H. Hidayat, M. Sumaryono, A. Suhardiman, F. Setiawan, and S. Sunarso
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 341–359, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-341-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-341-2015, 2015
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This paper investigates the possibility of monitoring small water bodies through Envisat altimetry observation. A novel approach is introduced to identify qualified and non-qualified altimetry measurements by assessing the waveform shapes for each returned radar signal. This research indicates that small lakes (extent < 100 km2) and medium-sized rivers (e.g., 200--800 m in width) can be successfully monitored by satellite altimetry.
Z. F. Miller, T. M. Pavelsky, and G. H. Allen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 4883–4895, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4883-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4883-2014, 2014
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Many previous studies have used stream gauge data to estimate patterns of river width and depth based on variations in river discharge. However, these relationships may not capture all of the actual variability in width and depth. We have instead mapped the widths of all of the rivers wider than 100 m (and many narrower) in the Mississippi Basin and then used them to also improve estimates of depth as well. Our results show width and depth variations not captured by power-law relationships.
A. Kääb, M. Lamare, and M. Abrams
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4671–4683, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4671-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4671-2013, 2013
V. H. Phan, R. C. Lindenbergh, and M. Menenti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4061–4077, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4061-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4061-2013, 2013
N. M. Velpuri and G. B. Senay
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3561–3578, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3561-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3561-2012, 2012
C. I. Michailovsky, S. McEnnis, P. A. M. Berry, R. Smith, and P. Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 2181–2192, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, 2012
H. Hidayat, D. H. Hoekman, M. A. M. Vissers, and A. J. F. Hoitink
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1805–1816, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1805-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1805-2012, 2012
M. Potes, M. J. Costa, and R. Salgado
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1623–1633, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1623-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1623-2012, 2012
A. T. Assireu, E. Alcântara, E. M. L. M. Novo, F. Roland, F. S. Pacheco, J. L. Stech, and J. A. Lorenzzetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 3689–3700, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-3689-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-3689-2011, 2011
C. H. Grohmann, C. Riccomini, and M. A. C. Chamani
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1493–1504, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1493-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1493-2011, 2011
C. C. Abon, C. P. C. David, and N. E. B. Pellejera
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1283–1289, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011, 2011
S. Trevisani, M. Cavalli, and L. Marchi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 393–405, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-393-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-393-2010, 2010
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Short summary
This study evaluates how the sequential assimilation of flood extent derived from synthetic aperture radar data can help improve flood forecasting. In particular, we carried out twin experiments based on a synthetically generated dataset with controlled uncertainty. Our empirical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed data assimilation framework, as forecasting errors are substantially reduced as a result of the assimilation.
This study evaluates how the sequential assimilation of flood extent derived from synthetic...
