Articles | Volume 27, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-303-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-27-303-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
13 Jan 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 13 Jan 2023
| 13 Jan 2023
Droughts can reduce the nitrogen retention capacity of catchments
Department for Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
Tam V. Nguyen
Department for Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
Andreas Musolff
Department for Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
Stefanie R. Lutz
Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Michael Rode
Department Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Magdeburg, Germany
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
Rohini Kumar
Department of Computational Hydrosystems, Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
Jan H. Fleckenstein
Department for Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
Hydrologic Modelling Unit, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and
Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
Viewed
Total article views: 4,499 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,652 | 759 | 88 | 4,499 | 181 | 73 | 72 |
- HTML: 3,652
- PDF: 759
- XML: 88
- Total: 4,499
- Supplement: 181
- BibTeX: 73
- EndNote: 72
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 23 Jun 2022)
Total article views: 3,876 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 13 Jan 2023)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,194 | 611 | 71 | 3,876 | 136 | 66 | 66 |
- HTML: 3,194
- PDF: 611
- XML: 71
- Total: 3,876
- Supplement: 136
- BibTeX: 66
- EndNote: 66
Total article views: 623 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 23 Jun 2022)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 458 | 148 | 17 | 623 | 45 | 7 | 6 |
- HTML: 458
- PDF: 148
- XML: 17
- Total: 623
- Supplement: 45
- BibTeX: 7
- EndNote: 6
Viewed (geographical distribution)
Total article views: 4,499 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 4,279 with geography defined
and 220 with unknown origin.
Total article views: 3,876 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 3,726 with geography defined
and 150 with unknown origin.
Total article views: 623 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 553 with geography defined
and 70 with unknown origin.
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 1 | 991 | 22 |
| Germany | 2 | 967 | 21 |
| China | 3 | 751 | 16 |
| India | 4 | 166 | 3 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 145 | 3 |
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 1 | 840 | 21 |
| Germany | 2 | 780 | 20 |
| China | 3 | 710 | 18 |
| India | 4 | 151 | 3 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 127 | 3 |
| Country | # | Views | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1 | 187 | 30 |
| United States of America | 2 | 151 | 24 |
| China | 3 | 41 | 6 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 18 | 2 |
| United Kingdom | 5 | 17 | 2 |
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
- 991
1
991
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
- 840
1
840
| Total: | 0 |
| HTML: | 0 |
| PDF: | 0 |
| XML: | 0 |
- 1
- 187
1
187
Cited
10 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Extreme drought-heatwave exacerbates water quality deterioration in China J. Jiang et al. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.113008
- Conceptual approach for a holistic low‐flow risk analysis U. Satzinger & D. Bachmann 10.1002/hyp.15217
- Impact of environmental disturbances on hydrology and nitrogen cycling in Central European forest catchments L. Bohdálková et al. 10.1007/s10533-025-01220-z
- Water quality responses to hydrological droughts can be predicted from long-term concentration–discharge relationships R. Dupas et al. 10.1088/3033-4942/adb906
- Linking terrestrial biogeochemical processes and water ages to catchment water quality: A new Damköhler analysis based on coupled modeling of isotope tracers and nitrate dynamics X. Yang et al. 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122118
- Upscaling drought resilience by coupling soil data and UAV-multispectral imageries G. Sofia et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178007
- Impacts of changing weather patterns on the dynamics of water pollutants in agricultural catchments: Insights from 11-year high temporal resolution data analysis G. Ezzati et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132122
- Slowing Down Quick Runoff—A New Approach for the Delineation and Assessment of Critical Points, Contributing Areas, and Proposals of Measures to Reduce Non-Point Water Pollution from Agricultural Land T. Kvítek et al. 10.3390/w15061247
- Nutrient retention in a small reservoir under changed variability of inflow nutrient concentration M. Determann et al. 10.1080/20442041.2024.2305105
- Uncertainty in water transit time estimation with StorAge Selection functions and tracer data interpolation A. Borriero et al. 10.5194/hess-27-2989-2023
10 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Extreme drought-heatwave exacerbates water quality deterioration in China J. Jiang et al. 10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.113008
- Conceptual approach for a holistic low‐flow risk analysis U. Satzinger & D. Bachmann 10.1002/hyp.15217
- Impact of environmental disturbances on hydrology and nitrogen cycling in Central European forest catchments L. Bohdálková et al. 10.1007/s10533-025-01220-z
- Water quality responses to hydrological droughts can be predicted from long-term concentration–discharge relationships R. Dupas et al. 10.1088/3033-4942/adb906
- Linking terrestrial biogeochemical processes and water ages to catchment water quality: A new Damköhler analysis based on coupled modeling of isotope tracers and nitrate dynamics X. Yang et al. 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122118
- Upscaling drought resilience by coupling soil data and UAV-multispectral imageries G. Sofia et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178007
- Impacts of changing weather patterns on the dynamics of water pollutants in agricultural catchments: Insights from 11-year high temporal resolution data analysis G. Ezzati et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132122
- Slowing Down Quick Runoff—A New Approach for the Delineation and Assessment of Critical Points, Contributing Areas, and Proposals of Measures to Reduce Non-Point Water Pollution from Agricultural Land T. Kvítek et al. 10.3390/w15061247
- Nutrient retention in a small reservoir under changed variability of inflow nutrient concentration M. Determann et al. 10.1080/20442041.2024.2305105
- Uncertainty in water transit time estimation with StorAge Selection functions and tracer data interpolation A. Borriero et al. 10.5194/hess-27-2989-2023
Latest update: 31 Mar 2025
Executive editor
Understanding how catchments respond to change is a central theme of the work of many hydrologists around the world, however, it is fair to say that the vast majority of these studies have focused on water quantity. This study is unique in that it represents a very detailed treatment of how water quality changes due to drought, which is a topic that is becoming ever so important with the rapid changes happening in warming climate for many regions of the world. The authors very cleverly combine both complex models and data-driven analyses to elucidate the effects of extreme drought on river water quality.
Understanding how catchments respond to change is a central theme of the work of many...
Short summary
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.
The increasing frequency of severe and prolonged droughts threatens our freshwater resources....
