Articles | Volume 25, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6067-2021
© 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-25-6067-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
30 Nov 2021
Research article |
| 30 Nov 2021
| 30 Nov 2021
Small-scale topography explains patterns and dynamics of dissolved organic carbon exports from the riparian zone of a temperate, forested catchment
Benedikt J. Werner
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Oliver J. Lechtenfeld
Research group BioGeoOmics, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Andreas Musolff
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Gerrit H. de Rooij
Department of Soil System Sciences, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 06120 Halle, Germany
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Ralf Gründling
Department of Soil System Sciences, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 06120 Halle, Germany
Ulrike Werban
Department of Monitoring and Exploration Technologies, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Jan H. Fleckenstein
Department of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Hydrologic Modelling Unit, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Álvaro Pardo-Álvarez, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Kalliopi Koutantou, and Philip Brunner
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 3923–3951, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-3923-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-3923-2026, 2026
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An upgraded version of a numerical solver is introduced to better capture the 3D interactions between surface water and groundwater. Built using open-source software, the custom solver adds new features to handle the complexity of real environments, including the representation of subsurface geology and the simulation of diverse dynamic processes, such as solute transport and heat transfer, in both domains. A test case and a full description of the novel features are provided in this paper.
Nedal Aqel, Jannis Groh, Lutz Weihermüller, Ralf Gründling, Andrea Carminati, and Peter Lehmann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 2523–2542, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2523-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2523-2026, 2026
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This study investigates how soils respond to major climatic disturbances, such as the extreme drought in Germany in 2018. Using long-term lysimeter observations and an artificial intelligence model, we show that persistent shifts in soil water dynamics indicate changes in hydraulic properties that may affect soil health, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring under a changing climate.
Alexander Hubig, Pia Ebeling, Daniel Graeber, Ulrike Scharfenberger, and Andreas Musolff
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-830, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-830, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
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This study investigates seasonal eutrophication patterns in rivers using chlorophyll a and total phosphorus concentration data from 133 monitoring sites in Germany. We identified five archetypal seasonal patterns explained by distinct seasonal dynamics of nutrients and physical drivers and by properties of the upstream catchment and river network. These patterns highlight critical locations and periods of phytoplankton blooms and implications for eutrophication management.
Tam V. Nguyen, Rohini Kumar, José L. J. Ledesma, Pia Ebeling, Jan Fleckenstein, and Andreas Musolff
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6246, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6246, 2026
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Lumped and landscape-explicit dissolved organic carbon (DOC) models are commonly calibrated using stream DOC concentrations, while internal DOC dynamics in different model compartments are not given enough attention. Our study shows that stream DOC alone is insufficient to constrain DOC dynamics. Applying models calibrated in this way under changing boundary conditions may therefore lead to unrealistic results.
Pia Ebeling, Alexander Hubig, Alexander Wachholz, Ulrike Scharfenberger, Sarah Haug, Tam Nguyen, Fanny Sarrazin, Masooma Batool, Andreas Musolff, and Rohini Kumar
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 691–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-691-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-691-2026, 2026
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The updated river water quality data set for Germany offers longer records, new variables such as water temperature and oxygen, and time series of pollution sources, and it adds more stations with both water quality and flow data. These improvements provide clearer insights into how stream water quality changes over time and how human activities affect aquatic ecosystems.
Qiaoyu Wang, Jie Yang, Ingo Heidbüchel, Teng Xu, and Chunhui Lu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 6093–6113, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6093-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6093-2025, 2025
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Extreme storms and droughts have profound impacts on water quality. We adopted a stochastic rainfall generator to test how rainfall changes affect the transformation and transport of nitrogen (N) and its potential effects on water quality. We found that wet/dry conditions and patterns within a year influence N transformation and transport. Mineralization and plant uptake are key processes governing the impact of nitrate on water quality under varying rainfall conditions.
Luca Peruzzo, Ulrike Werban, Marco Pohle, Mirko Pavoni, Benjamin Mary, Giorgio Cassiani, Simona Consoli, and Daniela Vanella
SOIL, 11, 811–831, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-811-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-811-2025, 2025
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Both spatial and temporal information is important in agriculture. Information regarding the aboveground variables is ever increasing in terms of density and precision. On the contrary, belowground information lags behind and has been typically limited to time series. This study uses methods that map the subsurface spatial variability. Numerical simulations of aboveground and belowground water fluxes are then based on such spatial information and additional time-oriented datasets that are common in agriculture.
Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 6921–6950, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-6921-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-6921-2025, 2025
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Water flows ever more slowly in soil when the soil dries out. This can be described by the conductivity curve that accounts for water filling up small spaces, sticking to grains in films, and water vapour diffusion. This paper introduces a relatively simple model for this curve that needs one fewer parameter than most others. It works well for most soils, but some need the extra parameter. The paper also presents a computer program to determine the parameter values of this and other models.
Pia Ebeling, Andreas Musolff, Rohini Kumar, Andreas Hartmann, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 2925–2950, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2925-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2925-2025, 2025
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Groundwater is a crucial resource at risk due to droughts. To understand drought effects on groundwater levels in Germany, we grouped 6626 wells into six regional and two national patterns. Weather explained half of the level variations with varied response times. Shallow groundwater responds fast and is more vulnerable to short droughts (a few months). Dampened deep heads buffer short droughts but suffer from long droughts and recoveries. Two nationwide trend patterns were linked to human water use.
Christoph Zielhofer, Marie Kaniecki, Anne Köhler, Vera Seeburg, Arnela Rollo, Laura Bergmann, Stefanie Berg, Barbara Stammel, Rita Gudermann, William J. Fletcher, Ulrike Werban, Anja Linstädter, and Natascha Mehler
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 74, 105–124, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-74-105-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-74-105-2025, 2025
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This study presents a quantitative reconstruction over a 235-year time frame of the development of the natural Donaumoos fen and Danube River into an anthroposphere. The selected proxies are the Donaumoos drainage ditch length and the Danube surface water area traced through the multi-temporal analysis of old maps. A comparison of quantitative proxies with the state of research from written sources leads to the discovery of potential great transitions in floodplain and peatland transformation.
Asha Nambiar and Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-412, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-412, 2025
Preprint archived
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The way infiltrating water moves in soil affects vegetation as well as groundwater recharge. This flow of soil water is captured by a mathematical function that covers all water contents from very dry to water-saturated. We tested several such functions for different soils and climates to see how model-calculated water fluxes are affected. Luckily, the effects of weather and the soil are much more important than the choice of the mathematical function.
Peter Jung, Götz Hornbruch, Andreas Dahmke, Peter Dietrich, and Ulrike Werban
Solid Earth, 15, 1465–1477, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-1465-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-1465-2024, 2024
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We demonstrate the feasibility of imaging vertical freezing boundaries using borehole ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in experimental geological latent heat storage, where part of a shallow Quaternary aquifer is frozen. To gain insights into the current thermal state in the subsurface, we assess the frozen volume dimension. We show that a combination of crosshole and reflection measurements allows us to image the ice body with high accuracy in the challenging environment of saturated sediments.
Arianna Borriero, Rohini Kumar, Tam V. Nguyen, Jan H. Fleckenstein, and Stefanie R. Lutz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2989–3004, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2989-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2989-2023, 2023
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We analyzed the uncertainty of the water transit time distribution (TTD) arising from model input (interpolated tracer data) and structure (StorAge Selection, SAS, functions). We found that uncertainty was mainly associated with temporal interpolation, choice of SAS function, nonspatial interpolation, and low-flow conditions. It is important to characterize the specific uncertainty sources and their combined effects on TTD, as this has relevant implications for both water quantity and quality.
Michael Rode, Jörg Tittel, Frido Reinstorf, Michael Schubert, Kay Knöller, Benjamin Gilfedder, Florian Merensky-Pöhlein, and Andreas Musolff
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1261–1277, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1261-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1261-2023, 2023
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Agricultural catchments show elevated phosphorus (P) concentrations during summer low flow. In an agricultural stream, we found that phosphorus in groundwater was a major source of stream water phosphorus during low flow, and stream sediments derived from farmland are unlikely to have increased stream phosphorus concentrations during low water. We found no evidence that riparian wetlands contributed to soluble reactive (SR) P loads. Agricultural phosphorus was largely buffered in the soil zone.
Georg Kaufmann, Douchko Romanov, Ulrike Werban, and Thomas Vienken
Solid Earth, 14, 333–351, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-333-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-14-333-2023, 2023
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We discuss collapse sinkholes occuring since 2004 on the sports field of Münsterdorf, a village north of Hamburg. The sinkholes, 2–5 m in size and about 3–5 m deep, develop in peri-glacial sand, with a likely origin in the Cretaceous chalk, present at about 20 m depth. The area has been analyzed with geophysical and direct-push-based methods, from which material properties of the subsurface have been derived. The properties have been used for mechanical models, predicting the subsidence.
Carolin Winter, Tam V. Nguyen, Andreas Musolff, Stefanie R. Lutz, Michael Rode, Rohini Kumar, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 303–318, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-303-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-303-2023, 2023
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The increasing frequency of severe and prolonged droughts threatens our freshwater resources. While we understand drought impacts on water quantity, its effects on water quality remain largely unknown. Here, we studied the impact of the unprecedented 2018–2019 drought in Central Europe on nitrate export in a heterogeneous mesoscale catchment in Germany. We show that severe drought can reduce a catchment's capacity to retain nitrogen, intensifying the internal pollution and export of nitrate.
Thomas Hermans, Pascal Goderniaux, Damien Jougnot, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Philip Brunner, Frédéric Nguyen, Niklas Linde, Johan Alexander Huisman, Olivier Bour, Jorge Lopez Alvis, Richard Hoffmann, Andrea Palacios, Anne-Karin Cooke, Álvaro Pardo-Álvarez, Lara Blazevic, Behzad Pouladi, Peleg Haruzi, Alejandro Fernandez Visentini, Guilherme E. H. Nogueira, Joel Tirado-Conde, Majken C. Looms, Meruyert Kenshilikova, Philippe Davy, and Tanguy Le Borgne
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 255–287, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-255-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-255-2023, 2023
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Although invisible, groundwater plays an essential role for society as a source of drinking water or for ecosystems but is also facing important challenges in terms of contamination. Characterizing groundwater reservoirs with their spatial heterogeneity and their temporal evolution is therefore crucial for their sustainable management. In this paper, we review some important challenges and recent innovations in imaging and modeling the 4D nature of the hydrogeological systems.
Felipe A. Saavedra, Andreas Musolff, Jana von Freyberg, Ralf Merz, Stefano Basso, and Larisa Tarasova
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 6227–6245, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6227-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-6227-2022, 2022
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Nitrate contamination of rivers from agricultural sources is a challenge for water quality management. During runoff events, different transport paths within the catchment might be activated, generating a variety of responses in nitrate concentration in stream water. Using nitrate samples from 184 German catchments and a runoff event classification, we show that hydrologic connectivity during runoff events is a key control of nitrate transport from catchments to streams in our study domain.
Gerrit Huibert de Rooij
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5849–5858, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5849-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5849-2022, 2022
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The way soils capture infiltrating water affects crops and natural vegetation as well as groundwater recharge. This retention of soil water is captured by a mathematical function that covers all water contents from very dry to water-saturated. Unfortunately, data in the dry range are often absent or unreliable. I modified an earlier function to be more robust in the absence of dry-range data, and present a computer program to estimate the parameters of the new function.
Jie Yang, Qiaoyu Wang, Ingo Heidbüchel, Chunhui Lu, Yueqing Xie, Andreas Musolff, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5051–5068, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5051-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5051-2022, 2022
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We assessed the effect of catchment topographic slopes on the nitrate export dynamics in terms of the nitrogen mass fluxes and concentration level using a coupled surface–subsurface model. We found that flatter landscapes tend to retain more nitrogen mass in the soil and export less nitrogen mass to the stream, explained by the reduced leaching and increased potential of degradation in flat landscapes. We emphasized that stream water quality is potentially less vulnerable in flatter landscapes.
Pia Ebeling, Rohini Kumar, Stefanie R. Lutz, Tam Nguyen, Fanny Sarrazin, Michael Weber, Olaf Büttner, Sabine Attinger, and Andreas Musolff
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3715–3741, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3715-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3715-2022, 2022
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Environmental data are critical for understanding and managing ecosystems, including the mitigation of water quality degradation. To increase data availability, we present the first large-sample water quality data set (QUADICA) of riverine macronutrient concentrations combined with water quantity, meteorological, and nutrient forcing data as well as catchment attributes. QUADICA covers 1386 German catchments to facilitate large-sample data-driven and modeling water quality assessments.
Guilherme E. H. Nogueira, Christian Schmidt, Daniel Partington, Philip Brunner, and Jan H. Fleckenstein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1883–1905, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1883-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1883-2022, 2022
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In near-stream aquifers, mixing between stream water and ambient groundwater can lead to dilution and the removal of substances that can be harmful to the water ecosystem at high concentrations. We used a numerical model to track the spatiotemporal evolution of different water sources and their mixing around a stream, which are rather difficult in the field. Results show that mixing mainly develops as narrow spots, varying In time and space, and is affected by magnitudes of discharge events.
Joni Dehaspe, Fanny Sarrazin, Rohini Kumar, Jan H. Fleckenstein, and Andreas Musolff
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6437–6463, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6437-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6437-2021, 2021
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Increased nitrate concentrations in surface waters can compromise river ecosystem health. As riverine nitrate uptake is hard to measure, we explore how low-frequency nitrate concentration and discharge observations (that are widely available) can help to identify (in)efficient uptake in river networks. We find that channel geometry and water velocity rather than the biological uptake capacity dominate the nitrate-discharge pattern at the outlet. The former can be used to predict uptake.
Katharina Blaurock, Burkhard Beudert, Benjamin S. Gilfedder, Jan H. Fleckenstein, Stefan Peiffer, and Luisa Hopp
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5133–5151, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5133-2021, 2021
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Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important part of the global carbon cycle with regards to carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions and drinking water treatment. In this study, we compared DOC export of a small, forested catchment during precipitation events after dry and wet preconditions. We found that the DOC export from areas that are usually important for DOC export was inhibited after long drought periods.
Edoardo Martini, Matteo Bauckholt, Simon Kögler, Manuel Kreck, Kurt Roth, Ulrike Werban, Ute Wollschläger, and Steffen Zacharias
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2529–2539, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2529-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2529-2021, 2021
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We present the in situ data available from the soil monitoring network
STH-net, recently implemented at the Schäfertal Hillslope site (Germany). The STH-net provides data (soil water content, soil temperature, water level, and meteorological variables – measured at a 10 min interval since 1 January 2019) for developing and testing modelling approaches in the context of vadose zone hydrology at spatial scales ranging from the pedon to the hillslope.
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Short summary
Export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from riparian zones (RZs) is an important yet poorly understood component of the catchment carbon budget. This study chemically and spatially classifies DOC source zones within a RZ of a small catchment to assess DOC export patterns. Results highlight that DOC export from only a small fraction of the RZ with distinct DOC composition dominates overall DOC export. The application of a spatial, topographic proxy can be used to improve DOC export models.
Export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from riparian zones (RZs) is an important yet poorly...
