Articles | Volume 27, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4485-2023
© 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-27-4485-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Dec 2023
Research article |
| 20 Dec 2023
| 20 Dec 2023
On understanding mountainous carbonate basins of the Mediterranean using parsimonious modeling solutions
Shima Azimi
Department of Civil, Center Agriculture, Food and Environment (C3A), Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Perugia, Italy
Christian Massari
Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Perugia, Italy
Giuseppe Formetta
Department of Civil, Center Agriculture, Food and Environment (C3A), Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
Silvia Barbetta
Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Perugia, Italy
Alberto Tazioli
Department of SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
Davide Fronzi
Department of SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
Sara Modanesi
Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Perugia, Italy
Angelica Tarpanelli
Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Perugia, Italy
Department of Civil, Center Agriculture, Food and Environment (C3A), Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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Nunzio Romano, Harry Vereecken, Heye R. Bogena, Giorgio Cassiani, Matteo Censini, Giovanna Armiento, Marco Proposito, Lorenzo De Silvestri, Eyal Ben Dor, Nicolas Francos, Christian Massari, János Mészáros, Tünde Takáts, Caterina Mazzitelli, Benedetto Sica, Ugo Lazzaro, and Paolo Nasta
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-725, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-725, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Understanding how climate and land-use change affect water resources requires observations that connect processes from soils and vegetation to groundwater and streams. The Alento dataset is presented that integrates environmental monitoring with targeted field observations across multiple Critical Zone components and scales. The dataset offers a distinctive resource for studying water storage and movement, evaluating environmental models, and improving understanding of water-limited regions.
Francesco Avanzi, Stefano Terzi, Mariapina Castelli, Francesca Munerol, Margherita Andreaggi, Marta Galvagno, Andrea Galletti, Tessa Maurer, Christian Massari, Grace Carlson, Manuela Girotto, Giacomo Bertoldi, Edoardo Cremonese, Simone Gabellani, Umberto Morra di Cella, Marco Altamura, Lauro Rossi, and Luca Ferraris
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 5769–5790, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5769-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5769-2026, 2026
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Snow droughts are periods with below-average snow accumulation and are becoming more frequent in a warming climate, yet their ecosystem and societal impacts remain poorly known. Using 13 years of data from 38 Italian catchments, we show that snow droughts reduced snow duration, increased winter melt-out events, and cut summer runoff by ~50 %. Photosynthesis increased by up to 10 % due to earlier meltout. These events also caused widespread water-supply reductions, especially in foothills.
Hossein Salehi, Daniele Andreis, Sohaib Baig, Gaia Roati, Marco Brian, Francesco Tornatore, Giuseppe Formetta, and Riccardo Rigon
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-467, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-467, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Here we describe the interpolation procedures followed to build a 1-km gridded daily precipitation and temperature dataset for the Po River District for the 1991–2020 period, with the aim of overcoming the scarcity of high-resolution data, essential for hydrological modelling. Initial data are collected from multi-source observational stations, while topographic data derive from the European Digital Elevation Model. Interpolation performance metrics analysis shows the coherence of this dataset.
Concetta D'Amato, Paolo Benettin, Andrea Rinaldo, and Riccardo Rigon
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2385, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2385, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
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Here we validate GEOSPACE, a flexible open-source tool for simulating water exchange between soil, plants, and the atmosphere. Using data from a lysimeter experiment with four vegetation covers, we show that GEOSPACE accurately reproduces soil water dynamics, evapotranspiration, and root water uptake. Its modular design allows selecting among alternative process formulations, making it a reliable tool for ecohydrological research.
Pierre Laluet, Jacopo Dari, Louise Busschaert, Zdenko Heyvaert, Gabrielle De Lannoy, Pia Langhans, Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Luca Brocca, Carla Saltalippi, Renato Morbidelli, Clément Albergel, and Wouter Dorigo
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 4833–4853, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-4833-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-4833-2026, 2026
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We developed a long-term dataset collection of irrigation water use based on about two decades of satellite observations, three distinct approaches, and many input datasets. The collection provides monthly estimates for major agricultural regions and helps describe how irrigation varies across locations, seasons, and years. It offers a foundation for improving how irrigation is quantified, compared across methods, and integrated into large-scale hydrological and climate studies.
Francesco Avanzi, Hans Lievens, Michael Matiu, Paolo Filippucci, Oscar M. Baez Villanueva, Simone Gabellani, Fabio Delogu, Lorenzo Alfieri, Andrea Libertino, Pere Quintana-Seguì, Diego G. Miralles, Luca Brocca, Christian Massari, and Gabriëlle J. M. De Lannoy
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2851, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2851, 2026
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We developed a new system to map and monitor snow and stored water across large mountain regions using satellite data and computer simulations. Tested in four major European river basins, the system reproduced snow conditions with high accuracy and realistically captured how snow changes with elevation. Because it does not rely on ground measurements, it can help provide consistent information on snow-water resources worldwide, supporting water management and climate adaptation.
Ather Abbas, Yuan Yang, Ming Pan, Yves Tramblay, Chaopeng Shen, Haoyu Ji, Solomon H. Gebrechorkos, Florian Pappenberger, JongCheol Pyo, Dapeng Feng, George Huffman, Phu Nguyen, Christian Massari, Luca Brocca, Jackson Tan, and Hylke E. Beck
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 3399–3423, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3399-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3399-2026, 2026
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Our study evaluated 24 precipitation datasets using a hydrological model at global scale to assess their suitability and accuracy. We found that MSWEP (Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation) V2.8 excels due to its ability to integrate data from multiple sources, while others, such as IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Mission) and GDAS (Global Data Assimilation System), demonstrated strong regional performances. This research assists in selecting the appropriate dataset for applications in water resource management, hazard assessment, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
Süleyman Selim Çallı, Kübra Özdemir Çallı, Brahim Akdim, Bruno Arfib, Aleksey Benderev, Sandra Beranger, Avi Burg, Onur Can, Jean-Baptiste Charlier, Mehmet Çelik, Arda Melih Çetin, Fehdi Chemseddine, Miroslava Deliyska, Lucio Di Matteo, Marco Dionigi, Romeo Eftimi, Jutta Eybl, Davide Fronzi, Nico Goldscheider, Ergin Gökkaya, Jorge Jodar, Herve Jourde, Eva Kaminsky, Konstantina Katsanou, Alireza Kavousi, Melike Kaya, David Labat, Tanja Liesch, Peter Malik, Christian Massari, Cyril Mayaud, Naomi Mazzilli, Pavel Pracny, Natasa Ravbar, Nathan Rispal, Simon Seelig, Vianney Sivelle, Marc Steinmann, Daniela Valigi, Gerfried Winkler, Ahmet Kemal Yahşi, and Andreas Hartmann
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-281, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-281, 2026
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
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Karst groundwater systems are vital but highly sensitive to climate change. Their complex underground flow makes them hard to manage without good data, so we gathered 118 high-quality records of spring discharge across Mediterranean mountain ranges. With an average of 19 years of data – including one nearly century-long record – this collection provides the detailed information needed to better predict water availability and protect these vulnerable groundwater sources.
Louise Busschaert, Michel Bechtold, Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Dirk Raes, Sujay V. Kumar, and Gabriëlle J. M. De Lannoy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 2579–2611, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2579-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-2579-2026, 2026
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Two models, AquaCrop (crop model) and Noah-MP (land surface model), were compared estimating irrigation in Italy's Po Valley. Noah-MP simulated higher water use (434 mm/yr) than AquaCrop (268 mm/yr), mainly due to extra water losses like runoff. Once losses were accounted for, both aligned with basin-scale reports of around 500 to 600 mm/yr. The study highlights how complex irrigation modeling is, and the need for better observational data to validate results.
Oscar M. Baez-Villanueva, Alfredo Crespo-Otero, Sara Modanesi, Pierre Laluet, Sergio Vicente-Serrano, Jaap Schellekens, Jacopo Dari, Hylke E. Beck, Wouter Dorigo, Christian Massari, Chiara Corbari, Joppe Massant, Kwint Delbare, Olivier Bonte, Aaron Boone, Diego Fernández-Prieto, and Diego G. Miralles
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1856, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1856, 2026
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We developed a new method to estimate daily land evaporation at high resolution across the Iberian Peninsula, explicitly accounting for irrigation. By combining satellite and meteorological data, we show that irrigation can strongly increase evaporation in agricultural areas. The results better match ground observations and improve understanding of water use. This approach can support farming decisions and water management at the regional scale, and will be extended to global applications.
Sofia Ortenzi, Lucio Di Matteo, Daniela Valigi, Marco Donnini, Marco Dionigi, Davide Fronzi, Josie Geris, Fabio Guadagnano, Ivan Marchesini, Paolo Filippucci, Francesco Avanzi, Daniele Penna, and Christian Massari
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 1755–1778, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1755-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1755-2026, 2026
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The study presents an integrated approach to analyze groundwater–surface water interactions in a Central Italy catchment, combining hydrological, hydrochemical–isotopic, thermal drone, and satellite data. Results indicate that fractured limestone aquifers sustain streamflow, with snowmelt accounting for about 18 % of recharge. The workflow is transferable and suitable for similar data-scarce Mediterranean basins.
Shima Azimi, Manuela Girotto, Riccardo Rigon, Gaia Roati, Silvia Barbetta, and Christian Massari
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-793, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-793, 2026
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Even ground-based precipitation observations, often considered the most reliable, can introduce substantial uncertainty into snow modeling due to sparse gauge coverage at high elevations in mountainous catchments.This challenge motivates the present study, in which we propose a data assimilation framework that integrates satellite-based snow depth into a hydrological model to correct snowfall estimates over the Italian Alps, with implications for water management in data-scarce mountain regions.
Domenico De Santis, Silvia Barbetta, Sumit Sen, Viviana Maggioni, Farhad Bahmanpouri, Ashutosh Sharma, Ankit Agarwal, Sagar Gupta, Francesco Avanzi, and Christian Massari
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1075–1104, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-1075-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-1075-2026, 2026
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A conceptual, semi-distributed hydrological model was tailored to simulate high flows in monsoon-dominated, glacier-influenced and flood-prone Himalayan basins. Multi-data calibration using satellite-based glacier mass loss and evapotranspiration estimates improved process realism in data-scarce environments. The proposed modelling approach captured key streamflow features despite significant input uncertainties, proving to be a useful tool for exploring the local hydrological response dynamics.
Senna Bouabdelli, Martin Morlot, Christian Massari, and Giuseppe Formetta
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-464, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-464, 2026
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Drought is becoming more common in the Alps as warmer winters reduce snow and alter river flow. We used hydrological model simulations in the Adige basin to understand when and why droughts occur. Results show that droughts are happening earlier, becoming more intense, and increasingly driven by lack of rain instead of melting snow at high elevations. This shift toward lower-elevation river behaviour calls for new strategies to manage water for hydropower, agriculture, and tourism.
John Mohd Wani, Kelly E. Gleason, Matteo Dall’Amico, Federico Di Paolo, Stefano Tasin, Gaia Roati, Marco Brian, Francesco Tornatore, and Riccardo Rigon
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5520, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5520, 2025
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A 30-year study of Italy's Po River Basin reveals dramatic loss in snow below 2000 meters elevation, with some areas losing over 30 % of snow-water storage. The snow season is becoming shorter, mainly because snow arrives later in winter rather than melting earlier in spring. This represents a fundamental shift from stable to volatile conditions, with major implications for water security in one of Europe's second most climate sensitive areas.
Concetta D'Amato, Niccolò Tubini, and Riccardo Rigon
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 7321–7355, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-7321-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-7321-2025, 2025
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This paper presents GEOSPACE and its 1D implementation: an open-source tool for simulating soil–plant–atmosphere continuum (SPAC) interactions. Using object-oriented programming, GEOSPACE modularizes SPAC processes, focusing on infiltration, evapotranspiration, and root water uptake. The 1D deployment integrates plant transpiration, soil evaporation, and root growth, providing a flexible and validated framework for ecohydrological modeling and applications.
Paolo Filippucci, Luca Brocca, Luca Ciabatta, Hamidreza Mosaffa, Francesco Avanzi, and Christian Massari
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 5221–5258, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5221-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5221-2025, 2025
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Accurate rainfall data is essential, yet measuring daily precipitation worldwide is challenging. This research presents HYdroclimatic PERformance-enhanced Precipitation (HYPER-P), a dataset combining satellite, ground, and reanalysis data to estimate precipitation at a 1 km scale from 2000 to 2022. HYPER-P improves accuracy, especially in areas with few rain gauges. This dataset supports scientists and decision-makers in understanding and managing water resources more effectively.
Xiangmei Liu, Peng Shen, Jiaqi Chen, David Andrew Barry, Christian Massari, Jiansheng Chen, Mingming Feng, Xi Zhang, Fenyan Ma, Fei Yang, and Haixia Jin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4263, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4263, 2025
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Our research in the Songnen Basin of Northeast China has revealed why numerous lakes remain unfrozen during winter. By studying Lake Chagan, we discovered that deep groundwater sustains these lakes, likely flowing through subterranean channels from the Tibetan Plateau. When earthquakes disrupt these conduits, water rises along fault lines to replenish the lakes. This finding challenges the theory that graben lakes primarily depend on local precipitation.
Eva Savina Malinverni, Francesco Di Stefano, Stefano Chiappini, Giovanna Darvini, Davide Fronzi, Roberto Pierdicca, and Alberto Tazioli
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLVIII-G-2025, 1035–1042, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-1035-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-1035-2025, 2025
Louise Busschaert, Michel Bechtold, Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Dirk Raes, Sujay V. Kumar, and Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4974019, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4974019, 2024
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This study estimates irrigation in the Po Valley using AquaCrop and Noah-MP models with sprinkler irrigation. Noah-MP shows higher annual rates than AquaCrop due to more water losses. After adjusting, both align with reported irrigation ranges (500–600 mm/yr). Soil moisture estimates from both models match satellite data, though both have limitations in vegetation and evapotranspiration modeling. The study emphasizes the need for observations to improve irrigation estimates.
Farhad Bahmanpouri, Tommaso Lazzarin, Silvia Barbetta, Tommaso Moramarco, and Daniele P. Viero
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3717–3737, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3717-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3717-2024, 2024
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The entropy model is a reliable tool to estimate flood discharge in rivers using observed level and surface velocity. Often, level and velocity sensors are placed on bridges, which may disturb the flow. Using accurate numerical models, we explored the entropy model reliability nearby a multi-arch bridge. We found that it is better to place sensors and to estimate the discharge upstream of bridges; downstream, the entropy model needs the river-wide distribution of surface velocity as input data.
Søren Julsgaard Kragh, Jacopo Dari, Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Luca Brocca, Rasmus Fensholt, Simon Stisen, and Julian Koch
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 441–457, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-441-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-441-2024, 2024
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This study provides a comparison of methodologies to quantify irrigation to enhance regional irrigation estimates. To evaluate the methodologies, we compared various approaches to quantify irrigation using soil moisture, evapotranspiration, or both within a novel baseline framework, together with irrigation estimates from other studies. We show that the synergy from using two equally important components in a joint approach within a baseline framework yields better irrigation estimates.
Martin Morlot, Simone Russo, Luc Feyen, and Giuseppe Formetta
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2593–2606, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-2593-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-2593-2023, 2023
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We analyzed recent trends in heat and cold wave (HW and CW) risk in a European alpine region, defined by a time and spatially explicit framework to quantify hazard, vulnerability, exposure, and risk. We find a statistically significant increase in HW hazard and exposure. A decrease in vulnerability is observed except in the larger cities. HW risk increased in 40 % of the region, especially in highly populated areas. Stagnant CW hazard and declining vulnerability result in reduced CW risk.
Jacopo Dari, Luca Brocca, Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Angelica Tarpanelli, Silvia Barbetta, Raphael Quast, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Vahid Freeman, Anaïs Barella-Ortiz, Pere Quintana-Seguí, David Bretreger, and Espen Volden
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1555–1575, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1555-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1555-2023, 2023
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Irrigation is the main source of global freshwater consumption. Despite this, a detailed knowledge of irrigation dynamics (i.e., timing, extent of irrigated areas, and amounts of water used) are generally lacking worldwide. Satellites represent a useful tool to fill this knowledge gap and monitor irrigation water from space. In this study, three regional-scale and high-resolution (1 and 6 km) products of irrigation amounts estimated by inverting the satellite soil moisture signals are presented.
Eleonora Dallan, Francesco Marra, Giorgia Fosser, Marco Marani, Giuseppe Formetta, Christoph Schär, and Marco Borga
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1133–1149, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1133-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1133-2023, 2023
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Convection-permitting climate models could represent future changes in extreme short-duration precipitation, which is critical for risk management. We use a non-asymptotic statistical method to estimate extremes from 10 years of simulations in an orographically complex area. Despite overall good agreement with rain gauges, the observed decrease of hourly extremes with elevation is not fully represented by the model. Climate model adjustment methods should consider the role of orography.
Riccardo Rigon, Giuseppe Formetta, Marialaura Bancheri, Niccolò Tubini, Concetta D'Amato, Olaf David, and Christian Massari
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4773–4800, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4773-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4773-2022, 2022
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The
Digital Earth(DE) metaphor is very useful for both end users and hydrological modelers. We analyse different categories of models, with the view of making them part of a Digital eARth Twin Hydrology system (called DARTH). We also stress the idea that DARTHs are not models in and of themselves, rather they need to be built on an appropriate information technology infrastructure. It is remarked that DARTHs have to, by construction, support the open-science movement and its ideas.
Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Michel Bechtold, Hans Lievens, Angelica Tarpanelli, Luca Brocca, Luca Zappa, and Gabriëlle J. M. De Lannoy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4685–4706, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4685-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4685-2022, 2022
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Given the crucial impact of irrigation practices on the water cycle, this study aims at estimating irrigation through the development of an innovative data assimilation system able to ingest high-resolution Sentinel-1 radar observations into the Noah-MP land surface model. The developed methodology has important implications for global water resource management and the comprehension of human impacts on the water cycle and identifies main challenges and outlooks for future research.
Stefania Camici, Gabriele Giuliani, Luca Brocca, Christian Massari, Angelica Tarpanelli, Hassan Hashemi Farahani, Nico Sneeuw, Marco Restano, and Jérôme Benveniste
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 6935–6956, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-6935-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-6935-2022, 2022
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This paper presents an innovative approach, STREAM (SaTellite-based Runoff Evaluation And Mapping), to derive daily river discharge and runoff estimates from satellite observations of soil moisture, precipitation, and terrestrial total water storage anomalies. Potentially useful for multiple operational and scientific applications, the added value of the STREAM approach is the ability to increase knowledge on the natural processes, human activities, and their interactions on the land.
Angelica Tarpanelli, Alessandro C. Mondini, and Stefania Camici
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2473–2489, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2473-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2473-2022, 2022
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We analysed 10 years of river discharge data from almost 2000 sites in Europe, and we extracted flood events, as proxies of flood inundations, based on the overpasses of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites to derive the percentage of potential inundation events that they were able to observe. Results show that on average 58 % of flood events are potentially observable by Sentinel-1 and only 28 % by Sentinel-2 due to the obstacle of cloud coverage.
Lorenzo Alfieri, Francesco Avanzi, Fabio Delogu, Simone Gabellani, Giulia Bruno, Lorenzo Campo, Andrea Libertino, Christian Massari, Angelica Tarpanelli, Dominik Rains, Diego G. Miralles, Raphael Quast, Mariette Vreugdenhil, Huan Wu, and Luca Brocca
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3921–3939, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3921-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3921-2022, 2022
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This work shows advances in high-resolution satellite data for hydrology. We performed hydrological simulations for the Po River basin using various satellite products, including precipitation, evaporation, soil moisture, and snow depth. Evaporation and snow depth improved a simulation based on high-quality ground observations. Interestingly, a model calibration relying on satellite data skillfully reproduces observed discharges, paving the way to satellite-driven hydrological applications.
Paolo Filippucci, Luca Brocca, Raphael Quast, Luca Ciabatta, Carla Saltalippi, Wolfgang Wagner, and Angelica Tarpanelli
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 2481–2497, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2481-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2481-2022, 2022
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A high-resolution (1 km) rainfall product with 10–30 d temporal resolution was obtained starting from SM data from Sentinel-1. Good performances are achieved using observed data (gauge and radar) over the Po River Valley, Italy, as a benchmark. The comparison with a product characterized by lower spatial resolution (25 km) highlights areas where the high spatial resolution of Sentinel-1 has great benefits. Possible applications include water management, agriculture and index-based insurances.
Christian Massari, Francesco Avanzi, Giulia Bruno, Simone Gabellani, Daniele Penna, and Stefania Camici
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1527–1543, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1527-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1527-2022, 2022
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Droughts are a creeping disaster, meaning that their onset, duration and recovery are challenging to monitor and forecast. Here, we provide further evidence of an additional challenge of droughts, i.e. the fact that the deficit in water supply during droughts is generally much more than expected based on the observed decline in precipitation. At a European scale we explain this with enhanced evapotranspiration, sustained by higher atmospheric demand for moisture during such dry periods.
Niccolò Tubini and Riccardo Rigon
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 75–104, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-75-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-75-2022, 2022
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This paper presents WHETGEO and its 1D deployment: a new physically based model simulating the water and energy budgets in a soil column. WHETGEO-1D is intended to be the first building block of a new customisable land-surface model that is integrated with process-based hydrology. WHETGEO is developed as an open-source code and is fully integrated into the GEOframe/OMS3 system, allowing the use of the many ancillary tools it provides.
Sara Modanesi, Christian Massari, Alexander Gruber, Hans Lievens, Angelica Tarpanelli, Renato Morbidelli, and Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6283–6307, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6283-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6283-2021, 2021
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Worldwide, the amount of water used for agricultural purposes is rising and the quantification of irrigation is becoming a crucial topic. Land surface models are not able to correctly simulate irrigation. Remote sensing observations offer an opportunity to fill this gap as they are directly affected by irrigation. We equipped a land surface model with an observation operator able to transform Sentinel-1 backscatter observations into realistic vegetation and soil states via data assimilation.
Daniele Masseroni, Stefania Camici, Alessio Cislaghi, Giorgio Vacchiano, Christian Massari, and Luca Brocca
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5589–5601, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5589-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5589-2021, 2021
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We evaluate 63 years of changes in annual streamflow volume across Europe, using a data set of more than 3000 stations, with a special focus on the Mediterranean basin. The results show decreasing (increasing) volumes in the southern (northern) regions. These trends are strongly consistent with the changes in temperature and precipitation.
Cited articles
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Short summary
We analyzed the water budget of nested karst catchments using simple methods and modeling. By utilizing the available data on precipitation and discharge, we were able to determine the response lag-time by adopting new techniques. Additionally, we modeled snow cover dynamics and evapotranspiration with the use of Earth observations, providing a concise overview of the water budget for the basin and its subbasins. We have made the data, models, and workflows accessible for further study.
We analyzed the water budget of nested karst catchments using simple methods and modeling. By...
