Articles | Volume 28, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4295-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-28-4295-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
20 Sep 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 20 Sep 2024
| 20 Sep 2024
Young and new water fractions in soil and hillslope waters
Marius G. Floriancic
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Dept. of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Dept. of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Scott T. Allen
Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Science – University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
James W. Kirchner
Dept. of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Marius G. Floriancic, Michael P. Stockinger, James W. Kirchner, and Christine Stumpp
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3675–3694, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3675-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3675-2024, 2024
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The Alps are a key water resource for central Europe, providing water for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower production. To assess water availability in streams, we need to understand how much streamflow is derived from old water stored in the subsurface versus more recent precipitation. We use tracer data from 32 Alpine streams and statistical tools to assess how much recent precipitation can be found in Alpine rivers and how this amount is related to catchment properties and climate.
Marvin Höge, Martina Kauzlaric, Rosi Siber, Ursula Schönenberger, Pascal Horton, Jan Schwanbeck, Marius Günter Floriancic, Daniel Viviroli, Sibylle Wilhelm, Anna E. Sikorska-Senoner, Nans Addor, Manuela Brunner, Sandra Pool, Massimiliano Zappa, and Fabrizio Fenicia
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CAMELS-CH is an open large-sample hydro-meteorological data set that covers 331 catchments in hydrologic Switzerland from 1 January 1981 to 31 December 2020. It comprises (a) daily data of river discharge and water level as well as meteorologic variables like precipitation and temperature; (b) yearly glacier and land cover data; (c) static attributes of, e.g, topography or human impact; and (d) catchment delineations. CAMELS-CH enables water and climate research and modeling at catchment level.
Marius G. Floriancic, Wouter R. Berghuijs, Tobias Jonas, James W. Kirchner, and Peter Molnar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5423–5438, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5423-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5423-2020, 2020
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Low river flows affect societies and ecosystems. Here we study how precipitation and potential evapotranspiration shape low flows across a network of 380 Swiss catchments. Low flows in these rivers typically result from below-average precipitation and above-average potential evapotranspiration. Extreme low flows result from long periods of the combined effects of both drivers.
Marius G. Floriancic, Michael P. Stockinger, James W. Kirchner, and Christine Stumpp
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3675–3694, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3675-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3675-2024, 2024
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The Alps are a key water resource for central Europe, providing water for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower production. To assess water availability in streams, we need to understand how much streamflow is derived from old water stored in the subsurface versus more recent precipitation. We use tracer data from 32 Alpine streams and statistical tools to assess how much recent precipitation can be found in Alpine rivers and how this amount is related to catchment properties and climate.
James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-103, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-103, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
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Here I present a new way of quantifying how streamflow responds to rainfall across a range of timescales. This approach can estimate how different rainfall intensities affect streamflow, and how that may vary, depending on how wet the landscape already is when the rain falls. This may help us to understand processes that regulate streamflow, as well as the susceptibility of different landscapes to flooding.
Shaozhen Liu, Ilja van Meerveld, Yali Zhao, Yunqiang Wang, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 205–216, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-205-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-205-2024, 2024
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We study the seasonal and spatial patterns of soil moisture in 0–500 cm soil using 89 monitoring sites in a loess catchment with monsoonal climate. Soil moisture is highest during the months of least precipitation and vice versa. Soil moisture patterns at the hillslope scale are dominated by the aspect-controlled evapotranspiration variations (a local control), not by the hillslope convergence-controlled downslope flow (a nonlocal control), under both dry and wet conditions.
Marvin Höge, Martina Kauzlaric, Rosi Siber, Ursula Schönenberger, Pascal Horton, Jan Schwanbeck, Marius Günter Floriancic, Daniel Viviroli, Sibylle Wilhelm, Anna E. Sikorska-Senoner, Nans Addor, Manuela Brunner, Sandra Pool, Massimiliano Zappa, and Fabrizio Fenicia
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 5755–5784, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5755-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-5755-2023, 2023
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CAMELS-CH is an open large-sample hydro-meteorological data set that covers 331 catchments in hydrologic Switzerland from 1 January 1981 to 31 December 2020. It comprises (a) daily data of river discharge and water level as well as meteorologic variables like precipitation and temperature; (b) yearly glacier and land cover data; (c) static attributes of, e.g, topography or human impact; and (d) catchment delineations. CAMELS-CH enables water and climate research and modeling at catchment level.
Tobias Nicollier, Gilles Antoniazza, Lorenz Ammann, Dieter Rickenmann, and James W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 929–951, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-929-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-929-2022, 2022
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Monitoring sediment transport is relevant for flood safety and river restoration. However, the spatial and temporal variability of sediment transport processes makes their prediction challenging. We investigate the feasibility of a general calibration relationship between sediment transport rates and the impact signals recorded by metal plates installed in the channel bed. We present a new calibration method based on flume experiments and apply it to an extensive dataset of field measurements.
Matthias Sprenger, Pilar Llorens, Francesc Gallart, Paolo Benettin, Scott T. Allen, and Jérôme Latron
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4093–4107, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4093-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4093-2022, 2022
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Our catchment-scale transit time modeling study shows that including stable isotope data on evapotranspiration in addition to the commonly used stream water isotopes helps constrain the model parametrization and reveals that the water taken up by plants has resided longer in the catchment storage than the water leaving the catchment as stream discharge. This finding is important for our understanding of how water is stored and released, which impacts the water availability for plants and humans.
Sebastian A. Krogh, Lucia Scaff, James W. Kirchner, Beatrice Gordon, Gary Sterle, and Adrian Harpold
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3393–3417, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3393-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3393-2022, 2022
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We present a new way to detect snowmelt using daily cycles in streamflow driven by solar radiation. Results show that warmer sites have earlier and more intermittent snowmelt than colder sites, and the timing of early snowmelt events is strongly correlated with the timing of streamflow volume. A space-for-time substitution shows greater sensitivity of streamflow timing to climate change in colder rather than in warmer places, which is then contrasted with land surface simulations.
Nikos Theodoratos and James W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1545–1561, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1545-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1545-2021, 2021
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We examine stream-power incision and linear diffusion landscape evolution models with and without incision thresholds. We present a steady-state relationship between curvature and the steepness index, which plots as a straight line. We view this line as a counterpart to the slope–area relationship for the case of landscapes with hillslope diffusion. We show that simple shifts and rotations of this line graphically express the topographic response of landscapes to changes in model parameters.
Rafael Poyatos, Víctor Granda, Víctor Flo, Mark A. Adams, Balázs Adorján, David Aguadé, Marcos P. M. Aidar, Scott Allen, M. Susana Alvarado-Barrientos, Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Luiza Maria Aparecido, M. Altaf Arain, Ismael Aranda, Heidi Asbjornsen, Robert Baxter, Eric Beamesderfer, Z. Carter Berry, Daniel Berveiller, Bethany Blakely, Johnny Boggs, Gil Bohrer, Paul V. Bolstad, Damien Bonal, Rosvel Bracho, Patricia Brito, Jason Brodeur, Fernando Casanoves, Jérôme Chave, Hui Chen, Cesar Cisneros, Kenneth Clark, Edoardo Cremonese, Hongzhong Dang, Jorge S. David, Teresa S. David, Nicolas Delpierre, Ankur R. Desai, Frederic C. Do, Michal Dohnal, Jean-Christophe Domec, Sebinasi Dzikiti, Colin Edgar, Rebekka Eichstaedt, Tarek S. El-Madany, Jan Elbers, Cleiton B. Eller, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Brent Ewers, Patrick Fonti, Alicia Forner, David I. Forrester, Helber C. Freitas, Marta Galvagno, Omar Garcia-Tejera, Chandra Prasad Ghimire, Teresa E. Gimeno, John Grace, André Granier, Anne Griebel, Yan Guangyu, Mark B. Gush, Paul J. Hanson, Niles J. Hasselquist, Ingo Heinrich, Virginia Hernandez-Santana, Valentine Herrmann, Teemu Hölttä, Friso Holwerda, James Irvine, Supat Isarangkool Na Ayutthaya, Paul G. Jarvis, Hubert Jochheim, Carlos A. Joly, Julia Kaplick, Hyun Seok Kim, Leif Klemedtsson, Heather Kropp, Fredrik Lagergren, Patrick Lane, Petra Lang, Andrei Lapenas, Víctor Lechuga, Minsu Lee, Christoph Leuschner, Jean-Marc Limousin, Juan Carlos Linares, Maj-Lena Linderson, Anders Lindroth, Pilar Llorens, Álvaro López-Bernal, Michael M. Loranty, Dietmar Lüttschwager, Cate Macinnis-Ng, Isabelle Maréchaux, Timothy A. Martin, Ashley Matheny, Nate McDowell, Sean McMahon, Patrick Meir, Ilona Mészáros, Mirco Migliavacca, Patrick Mitchell, Meelis Mölder, Leonardo Montagnani, Georgianne W. Moore, Ryogo Nakada, Furong Niu, Rachael H. Nolan, Richard Norby, Kimberly Novick, Walter Oberhuber, Nikolaus Obojes, A. Christopher Oishi, Rafael S. Oliveira, Ram Oren, Jean-Marc Ourcival, Teemu Paljakka, Oscar Perez-Priego, Pablo L. Peri, Richard L. Peters, Sebastian Pfautsch, William T. Pockman, Yakir Preisler, Katherine Rascher, George Robinson, Humberto Rocha, Alain Rocheteau, Alexander Röll, Bruno H. P. Rosado, Lucy Rowland, Alexey V. Rubtsov, Santiago Sabaté, Yann Salmon, Roberto L. Salomón, Elisenda Sánchez-Costa, Karina V. R. Schäfer, Bernhard Schuldt, Alexandr Shashkin, Clément Stahl, Marko Stojanović, Juan Carlos Suárez, Ge Sun, Justyna Szatniewska, Fyodor Tatarinov, Miroslav Tesař, Frank M. Thomas, Pantana Tor-ngern, Josef Urban, Fernando Valladares, Christiaan van der Tol, Ilja van Meerveld, Andrej Varlagin, Holm Voigt, Jeffrey Warren, Christiane Werner, Willy Werner, Gerhard Wieser, Lisa Wingate, Stan Wullschleger, Koong Yi, Roman Zweifel, Kathy Steppe, Maurizio Mencuccini, and Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2607–2649, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2607-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2607-2021, 2021
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Transpiration is a key component of global water balance, but it is poorly constrained from available observations. We present SAPFLUXNET, the first global database of tree-level transpiration from sap flow measurements, containing 202 datasets and covering a wide range of ecological conditions. SAPFLUXNET and its accompanying R software package
sapfluxnetrwill facilitate new data syntheses on the ecological factors driving water use and drought responses of trees and forests.
Scott T. Allen and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-683, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2020-683, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Extracting water from plant stems can introduce analytical errors in isotope analyses. We demonstrate that sensitivities to suspected errors can be evaluated and that conclusions drawn from extracted plant water isotope ratios are neither generally valid nor generally invalid. Ultimately, imperfect measurements of plant and soil water isotope ratios can continue to support useful inferences if study designs are appropriately matched to their likely biases and uncertainties.
Jana von Freyberg, Julia L. A. Knapp, Andrea Rücker, Bjørn Studer, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5821–5834, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5821-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5821-2020, 2020
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Automated water samplers are often used to collect precipitation and streamwater samples for subsequent isotope analysis, but the isotopic signal of these samples may be altered due to evaporative fractionation occurring during the storage inside the autosamplers in the field. In this article we present and evaluate a cost-efficient modification to the Teledyne ISCO automated water sampler that prevents isotopic enrichment through evaporative fractionation of the water samples.
Joost Buitink, Lieke A. Melsen, James W. Kirchner, and Adriaan J. Teuling
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 6093–6110, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-6093-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-6093-2020, 2020
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This paper presents a new distributed hydrological model: the distributed simple dynamical systems (dS2) model. The model is built with a focus on computational efficiency and is therefore able to simulate basins at high spatial and temporal resolution at a low computational cost. Despite the simplicity of the model concept, it is able to correctly simulate discharge in both small and mesoscale basins.
James W. Kirchner and Julia L. A. Knapp
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5539–5558, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5539-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5539-2020, 2020
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Ensemble hydrograph separation is a powerful new tool for measuring the age distribution of streamwater. However, the calculations are complex and may be difficult for researchers to implement on their own. Here we present scripts that perform these calculations in either MATLAB or R so that researchers do not need to write their own codes. We explain how these scripts work and how to use them. We demonstrate several potential applications using a synthetic catchment data set.
Marius G. Floriancic, Wouter R. Berghuijs, Tobias Jonas, James W. Kirchner, and Peter Molnar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5423–5438, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5423-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5423-2020, 2020
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Low river flows affect societies and ecosystems. Here we study how precipitation and potential evapotranspiration shape low flows across a network of 380 Swiss catchments. Low flows in these rivers typically result from below-average precipitation and above-average potential evapotranspiration. Extreme low flows result from long periods of the combined effects of both drivers.
James W. Kirchner, Sarah E. Godsey, Madeline Solomon, Randall Osterhuber, Joseph R. McConnell, and Daniele Penna
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5095–5123, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5095-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5095-2020, 2020
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Streams and groundwaters often show daily cycles in response to snowmelt and evapotranspiration. These typically have a roughly 6 h time lag, which is often interpreted as a travel-time lag. Here we show that it is instead primarily a phase lag that arises because aquifers integrate their inputs over time. We further show how these cycles shift seasonally, mirroring the springtime retreat of snow cover to higher elevations and the seasonal advance and retreat of photosynthetic activity.
Elham Rouholahnejad Freund, Massimiliano Zappa, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5015–5025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5015-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5015-2020, 2020
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Evapotranspiration (ET) is the largest flux from the land to the atmosphere and thus contributes to Earth's energy and water balance. Due to its impact on atmospheric dynamics, ET is a key driver of droughts and heatwaves. In this paper, we demonstrate how averaging over land surface heterogeneity contributes to substantial overestimates of ET fluxes. We also demonstrate how one can correct for the effects of small-scale heterogeneity without explicitly representing it in land surface models.
Nikos Theodoratos and James W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 505–526, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-505-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-505-2020, 2020
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We non-dimensionalized a commonly used model of landscape evolution that includes an incision threshold. Whereas the original model included four parameters, we obtained a dimensionless form with a single parameter, which quantifies the relative importance of the incision threshold. Working with this form saves computational time and simplifies theoretical analyses.
Julia L. A. Knapp, Jana von Freyberg, Bjørn Studer, Leonie Kiewiet, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2561–2576, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2561-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2561-2020, 2020
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Changes of stream water chemistry in response to discharge changes provide important insights into the storage and release of water from the catchment. Here we investigate the variability in concentration–discharge relationships among different solutes and hydrologic events and relate it to catchment conditions and dominant water sources.
Elham Rouholahnejad Freund, Ying Fan, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1927–1938, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1927-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1927-2020, 2020
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Evapotranspiration (ET) rates and properties that regulate them are spatially heterogeneous. Averaging over spatial heterogeneity in precipitation (P) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) as the main drivers of ET may lead to biased estimates of energy and water fluxes from the land to the atmosphere. We show that this bias is largest in mountainous terrains, in regions with temperate climates and dry summers, and in landscapes where spatial variations in P and PET are inversely correlated.
Francesc Gallart, Jana von Freyberg, María Valiente, James W. Kirchner, Pilar Llorens, and Jérôme Latron
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1101–1107, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1101-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1101-2020, 2020
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How catchments store and release rain or melting water is still not well known. Now, it is broadly accepted that most of the water in streams is older than several months, and a relevant part may be many years old. But the age of water depends on the stream regime, being usually younger during high flows. This paper tries to provide tools for better analysing how the age of waters varies with flow in a catchment and for comparing the behaviour of catchments diverging in climate, size and regime.
James W. Kirchner and Scott T. Allen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 17–39, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-17-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-17-2020, 2020
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Perhaps the oldest question in hydrology is
Where does water go when it rains?. Here we present a new way to measure how the terrestrial water cycle partitions precipitation into its two ultimate fates:
green waterthat is evaporated or transpired back to the atmosphere and
blue waterthat is discharged to stream channels. Our analysis may help in gauging the vulnerability of both water resources and terrestrial ecosystems to changes in rainfall patterns.
H. J. Ilja van Meerveld, James W. Kirchner, Marc J. P. Vis, Rick S. Assendelft, and Jan Seibert
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4825–4834, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4825-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4825-2019, 2019
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Flowing stream networks extend and retract seasonally and in response to precipitation. This affects the distances and thus the time that it takes a water molecule to reach the flowing stream and the stream outlet. When the network is fully extended, the travel times are short, but when the network retracts, the travel times become longer and more uniform. These dynamics should be included when modeling solute or pollutant transport.
Julia L. A. Knapp, Colin Neal, Alessandro Schlumpf, Margaret Neal, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4367–4388, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4367-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4367-2019, 2019
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We describe, present, and make publicly available two extensive data sets of stable water isotopes in streamwater and precipitation at Plynlimon, Wales, consisting of measurements at 7-hourly intervals for 17 months and at weekly intervals for 4.25 years. We use these data to calculate new water fractions and transit time distributions for different discharge rates and seasons, thus quantifying the contribution of recent precipitation to streamflow under different conditions.
Scott T. Allen, Scott Jasechko, Wouter R. Berghuijs, Jeffrey M. Welker, Gregory R. Goldsmith, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3423–3436, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3423-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-3423-2019, 2019
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We developed global maps that concisely quantify the seasonality of stable isotope ratios in precipitation, using data from 653 meteorological stations across all seven continents. We make these gridded global maps publicly available to support diverse stable isotope applications.
Andrea Rücker, Stefan Boss, James W. Kirchner, and Jana von Freyberg
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2983–3005, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2983-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2983-2019, 2019
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To better understand how rain-on-snow (ROS) events affect snowpack outflow volumes and streamflow generation, we measured snowpack outflow volumes and isotopic composition during 10 ROS events with automated snowmelt lysimeters at three locations in a pre-Alpine catchment. We quantified the spatio-temporal variability of snowpack outflow and its relative contribution to streamflow, and identified rainfall characteristics and initial snow depth as major controls on snow hydrological processes.
Scott T. Allen, James W. Kirchner, Sabine Braun, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, and Gregory R. Goldsmith
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1199–1210, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1199-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1199-2019, 2019
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We used stable isotopes of xylem water to study differences in the seasonal origin of water in more than 900 individual trees from three dominant species in 182 Swiss forested sites. We discovered that midsummer transpiration was mostly supplied by winter precipitation across diverse humid climates. Our findings provide new insights into tree vulnerability to droughts, transport of water (and thus solutes) in soils, and the climatic information conveyed by plant-tissue isotopes.
James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 303–349, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-303-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-303-2019, 2019
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How long does it take for raindrops to become streamflow? Here I propose a new approach to this old problem. I show how we can use time series of isotope data to measure the average fraction of same-day rainfall appearing in streamflow, even if this fraction varies greatly from rainstorm to rainstorm. I show that we can quantify how this fraction changes from small rainstorms to big ones, and from high flows to low flows, and how it changes with the lag time between rainfall and streamflow.
Jana von Freyberg, Bjørn Studer, Michael Rinderer, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5847–5865, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5847-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5847-2018, 2018
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We show event- and pre-event-water volumes as fractions of precipitation, rather than discharge, to provide an alternative and more insightful approach to study catchment hydrological processes. For this, we analyze 24 storm events using high-frequency measurements of stable water isotopes in stream water and precipitation at a pre-Alpine catchment. Antecedent wetness and storm characteristics are dominant controls on event-water discharge and pre-event-water mobilization from storage.
Daniele Penna, Luisa Hopp, Francesca Scandellari, Scott T. Allen, Paolo Benettin, Matthias Beyer, Josie Geris, Julian Klaus, John D. Marshall, Luitgard Schwendenmann, Till H. M. Volkmann, Jana von Freyberg, Anam Amin, Natalie Ceperley, Michael Engel, Jay Frentress, Yamuna Giambastiani, Jeff J. McDonnell, Giulia Zuecco, Pilar Llorens, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, Todd E. Dawson, and James W. Kirchner
Biogeosciences, 15, 6399–6415, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6399-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6399-2018, 2018
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Understanding how water flows through ecosystems is needed to provide society and policymakers with the scientific background to manage water resources sustainably. Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water are a powerful tool for tracking water fluxes, although the heterogeneity of natural systems and practical methodological issues still limit their full application. Here, we examine the challenges in this research field and highlight new perspectives based on interdisciplinary research.
Nikos Theodoratos, Hansjörg Seybold, and James W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 779–808, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-779-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-779-2018, 2018
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We perform dimensional analysis on a frequently used landscape evolution model (LEM). Defining characteristic scales in a novel way, we significantly simplify the LEM and develop an efficient numerical modeling approach. Our characteristic scales are physically meaningful; they quantify competitions between landscape-forming processes and are related to salient properties of landscape topography. Dimensional analyses of other LEMs may benefit from our approach in defining characteristic scales.
Jana von Freyberg, Scott T. Allen, Stefan Seeger, Markus Weiler, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3841–3861, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3841-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3841-2018, 2018
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We explored how the fraction of streamflow younger than ca. 3 months (Fyw) varies with landscape characteristics and climatic forcing, using an extensive isotope data set from 22 Swiss catchments. Overall, Fyw tends to be larger when catchments are wet and discharge is correspondingly higher, indicating an increase in the proportional contribution of faster flow paths at higher flows. We quantify this
discharge sensitivityof Fyw and relate it to the dominant streamflow-generating mechanisms.
Paolo Benettin, Till H. M. Volkmann, Jana von Freyberg, Jay Frentress, Daniele Penna, Todd E. Dawson, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2881–2890, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2881-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2881-2018, 2018
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Evaporation causes the isotopic composition of soil water to become different from that of the original precipitation source. If multiple samples originating from the same source are available, they can be used to reconstruct the original source composition. However, soil water is influenced by seasonal variability in both precipitation sources and evaporation patterns. We show that this variability, if not accounted for, can lead to biased estimates of the precipitation source water.
Albrecht von Boetticher, Jens M. Turowski, Brian W. McArdell, Dieter Rickenmann, Marcel Hürlimann, Christian Scheidl, and James W. Kirchner
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 3963–3978, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3963-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3963-2017, 2017
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The open-source fluid dynamic solver presented in v. Boetticher et al. (2016) combines a Coulomb viscosplastic rheological model with a Herschel–Bulkley model based on material properties for 3-D debris flow simulations. Here, we validate the solver and illustrate the model sensitivity to water content, channel curvature, content of fine material and channel bed roughness. We simulate both laboratory-scale and large-scale debris-flow experiments, using only one of the two calibration parameters.
Jana von Freyberg, Bjørn Studer, and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1721–1739, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1721-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1721-2017, 2017
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We present a newly developed instrument package that enables the online analysis of stable water isotopes and major ion chemistry at 30 min intervals in the field. The resulting data streams provide an unprecedented view of hydrochemical dynamics on the catchment scale. Based on a detailed analysis of the variable behavior of isotopic and chemical tracers in stream water and precipitation over a 4-week period, we developed a conceptual hypothesis for runoff generation in the studied catchment.
Elham Rouholahnejad Freund and James W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 217–233, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-217-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-217-2017, 2017
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Our analysis shows that averaging over sub-grid heterogeneity in precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (ET), as typical earth system models do, overestimates the average of the spatially variable ET. We also show when aridity index increases with altitude, lateral redistribution would transfer water from more humid uplands to more arid lowlands, resulting in a net increase in ET. Therefore, the Earth system models that neglect lateral transfer underestimate ET in those regions.
Alexander R. Beer, James W. Kirchner, and Jens M. Turowski
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 885–894, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-885-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-885-2016, 2016
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Spatial bedrock erosion data from stream channels are important for engineering issues and landscape evolution model assessment. However, acquiring such data is challenging and only few data sets exist. Detecting changes in repeated photographs of painted bedrock surfaces easily allows for semi-quantitative conclusions on the spatial distribution of sediment transport and its effects: abrasion on surfaces facing the streamflow and shielding of surfaces by abundant sediment.
Albrecht von Boetticher, Jens M. Turowski, Brian W. McArdell, Dieter Rickenmann, and James W. Kirchner
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 2909–2923, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2909-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2909-2016, 2016
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Debris flows are characterized by unsteady flows of water with different content of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and large particles, resulting in a dense moving mixture mass. Here we present a three-dimensional fluid dynamic solver that simulates the flow as a mixture of a pressure-dependent rheology model of the gravel mixed with a Herschel–Bulkley rheology of the fine material suspension. We link rheological parameters to the material composition. The user must specify two free model parameters.
J. W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 279–297, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-279-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-279-2016, 2016
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Catchment mean transit times have been widely inferred from seasonal cycles of environmental tracers in precipitation and streamflow. Here I show that these cycles yield strongly biased estimates of mean transit times in spatially heterogeneous catchments (and, by implication, in real-world catchments). However, I also show that these cycles can be used to reliably estimate the fraction of "young" water in streamflow, meaning water that fell as precipitation less than roughly 2–3 months ago.
J. W. Kirchner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 299–328, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-299-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-299-2016, 2016
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Here I show that seasonal tracer cycles yield strongly biased estimates of mean transit times in nonstationary catchments (and, by implication, in real-world catchments). However, they can be used to reliably estimate the fraction of "young" water in streamflow, meaning water that fell as precipitation less than roughly 2–3 months ago. This young water fraction varies systematically between high and low flows and may help in characterizing controls on stream chemistry.
F. Kobierska, T. Jonas, J. W. Kirchner, and S. M. Bernasconi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3681–3693, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3681-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3681-2015, 2015
A. von Boetticher, J. M. Turowski, B. W. McArdell, D. Rickenmann, M. Hürlimann, C. Scheidl, and J. W. Kirchner
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmdd-8-6379-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmdd-8-6379-2015, 2015
Preprint withdrawn
F. U. M. Heimann, D. Rickenmann, J. M. Turowski, and J. W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 15–34, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-15-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-15-2015, 2015
F. U. M. Heimann, D. Rickenmann, M. Böckli, A. Badoux, J. M. Turowski, and J. W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 35–54, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-35-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-35-2015, 2015
Related subject area
Subject: Hillslope hydrology | Techniques and Approaches: Theory development
Energy efficiency in transient surface runoff and sediment fluxes on hillslopes – a concept to quantify the effectiveness of extreme events
Morphological controls on surface runoff: an interpretation of steady-state energy patterns, maximum power states and dissipation regimes within a thermodynamic framework
Soil moisture: variable in space but redundant in time
A history of the concept of time of concentration
Are dissolved organic carbon concentrations in riparian groundwater linked to hydrological pathways in the boreal forest?
The influence of diurnal snowmelt and transpiration on hillslope throughflow and stream response
Slope–velocity equilibrium and evolution of surface roughness on a stony hillslope
Assessment of land use impact on hydraulic threshold conditions for gully head cut initiation
Technical note: Inference in hydrology from entropy balance considerations
Ecohydrological effects of stream–aquifer water interaction: a case study of the Heihe River basin, northwestern China
Hillslope-scale experiment demonstrates the role of convergence during two-step saturation
Impacts of climate variability on wetland salinization in the North American prairies
Resolving structural errors in a spatially distributed hydrologic model using ensemble Kalman filter state updates
Runoff formation from experimental plot, field, to small catchment scales in agricultural North Huaihe River Plain, China
Addressing secondary school students' everyday ideas about freshwater springs in order to develop an instructional tool to promote conceptual reconstruction
Hydrological heterogeneity in Mediterranean reclaimed slopes: runoff and sediment yield at the patch and slope scales along a gradient of overland flow
Effect of hydraulic parameters on sediment transport capacity in overland flow over erodible beds
Large-scale runoff generation – parsimonious parameterisation using high-resolution topography
Estimating surface fluxes over middle and upper streams of the Heihe River Basin with ASTER imagery
Seasonal evaluation of the land surface scheme HTESSEL against remote sensing derived energy fluxes of the Transdanubian region in Hungary
Analysis of surface soil moisture patterns in agricultural landscapes using Empirical Orthogonal Functions
Modelling field scale water partitioning using on-site observations in sub-Saharan rainfed agriculture
Evaluation of alternative formulae for calculation of surface temperature in snowmelt models using frequency analysis of temperature observations
Growth of a high-elevation large inland lake, associated with climate change and permafrost degradation in Tibet
Selection of an appropriately simple storm runoff model
Spatial mapping of leaf area index using hyperspectral remote sensing for hydrological applications with a particular focus on canopy interception
Use of satellite-derived data for characterization of snow cover and simulation of snowmelt runoff through a distributed physically based model of runoff generation
A contribution to understanding the turbidity behaviour in an Amazon floodplain
Global spatial optimization with hydrological systems simulation: application to land-use allocation and peak runoff minimization
Implementing small scale processes at the soil-plant interface – the role of root architectures for calculating root water uptake profiles
Uncertainty in the determination of soil hydraulic parameters and its influence on the performance of two hydrological models of different complexity
Modelling the inorganic nitrogen behaviour in a small Mediterranean forested catchment, Fuirosos (Catalonia)
Soil bioengineering for risk mitigation and environmental restoration in a humid tropical area
Climate and terrain factors explaining streamflow response and recession in Australian catchments
Soil moisture active and passive microwave products: intercomparison and evaluation over a Sahelian site
Characteristics of 2-D convective structures in Catalonia (NE Spain): an analysis using radar data and GIS
The contribution of groundwater discharge to the overall water budget of two typical Boreal lakes in Alberta/Canada estimated from a radon mass balance
Actual daily evapotranspiration estimated from MERIS and AATSR data over the Chinese Loess Plateau
Calibration analysis for water storage variability of the global hydrological model WGHM
Earth's Critical Zone and hydropedology: concepts, characteristics, and advances
Reducing scale dependence in TOPMODEL using a dimensionless topographic index
Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems
Nitrogen retention in natural Mediterranean wetland-streams affected by agricultural runoff
Recent trends in groundwater levels in a highly seasonal hydrological system: the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta
Water availability, demand and reliability of in situ water harvesting in smallholder rain-fed agriculture in the Thukela River Basin, South Africa
Variability of the groundwater sulfate concentration in fractured rock slopes: a tool to identify active unstable areas
Copula based multisite model for daily precipitation simulation
Solid phase evolution in the Biosphere 2 hillslope experiment as predicted by modeling of hydrologic and geochemical fluxes
Deriving a global river network map and its sub-grid topographic characteristics from a fine-resolution flow direction map
Surface water acidification and critical loads: exploring the F-factor
Samuel Schroers, Ulrike Scherer, and Erwin Zehe
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2535–2557, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2535-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2535-2023, 2023
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The hydrological cycle shapes our landscape. With an accelerating change of the world's climate and hydrological dynamics, concepts of evolution of natural systems become more important. In this study, we elaborated a thermodynamic framework for runoff and sediment transport and show from model results as well as from measurements during extreme events that the developed concept is useful for understanding the evolution of the system's mass, energy, and entropy fluxes.
Samuel Schroers, Olivier Eiff, Axel Kleidon, Ulrike Scherer, Jan Wienhöfer, and Erwin Zehe
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3125–3150, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3125-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3125-2022, 2022
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In hydrology the formation of landform patterns is of special interest as changing forcings of the natural systems, such as climate or land use, will change these structures. In our study we developed a thermodynamic framework for surface runoff on hillslopes and highlight the differences of energy conversion patterns on two related spatial and temporal scales. The results indicate that surface runoff on hillslopes approaches a maximum power state.
Mirko Mälicke, Sibylle K. Hassler, Theresa Blume, Markus Weiler, and Erwin Zehe
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2633–2653, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2633-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2633-2020, 2020
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We could show that distributed soil moisture time series bear a considerable amount of information about dynamic changes in soil moisture. We developed a new method to describe spatial patterns and analyze their persistency. By combining uncertainty propagation with information theory, we were able to calculate the information content of spatial similarity with respect to measurement uncertainty. This does help to understand when and why the soil is drying in an organized manner.
Keith J. Beven
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2655–2670, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2655-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2655-2020, 2020
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The concept of time of concentration in the analysis of catchment responses dates back over 150 years. It is normally discussed in terms of the velocity of flow of a water particle from the furthest part of a catchment to the outlet. This is also the basis for the definition in the International Glossary of Hydrology, but this is in conflict with the way in which it is commonly used. This paper provides a clarification of the concept and its correct useage.
Stefan W. Ploum, Hjalmar Laudon, Andrés Peralta-Tapia, and Lenka Kuglerová
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1709–1720, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1709-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1709-2020, 2020
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Near-stream areas, or riparian zones, are important for the health of streams and rivers. If these areas are disturbed by forestry or other anthropogenic activity, the water quality and all life in streams may be at risk. We examined which riparian areas are particularly sensitive. We found that only a few wet areas bring most of the rainwater from the landscape to the stream, and they have a unique water quality. In order to maintain healthy streams and rivers, these areas should be protected.
Brett Woelber, Marco P. Maneta, Joel Harper, Kelsey G. Jencso, W. Payton Gardner, Andrew C. Wilcox, and Ignacio López-Moreno
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4295–4310, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4295-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4295-2018, 2018
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The hydrology of high-elevation headwaters in midlatitudes is typically dominated by snow processes, which are very sensitive to changes in energy inputs at the top of the snowpack. We present a data analyses that reveal how snowmelt and transpiration waves induced by the diurnal solar cycle generate water pressure fluctuations that propagate through the snowpack–hillslope–stream system. Changes in diurnal energy inputs alter these pressure cycles with potential ecohydrological consequences.
Mark A. Nearing, Viktor O. Polyakov, Mary H. Nichols, Mariano Hernandez, Li Li, Ying Zhao, and Gerardo Armendariz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3221–3229, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3221-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3221-2017, 2017
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This study presents novel scientific understanding about the way that hillslope surfaces form when exposed to rainfall erosion, and the way those surfaces interact with and influence runoff velocities during rain events. The data show that hillslope surfaces form such that flow velocities are independent of slope gradient and dependent on flow rates alone. This result represents a shift in thinking about surface water runoff.
Aliakbar Nazari Samani, Qiuwen Chen, Shahram Khalighi, Robert James Wasson, and Mohammad Reza Rahdari
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3005–3012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3005-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3005-2016, 2016
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We hypothesized that land use had important effects on hydraulic threshold conditions for gully head cut initiation. We investigated the effects using an experimental plot. The results indicated that the use of a threshold value of τcr = 35 dyne cm−2 and ωu = 0.4 Cm S−1 in physically based soil erosion models is susceptible to high uncertainty when assessing gully erosion.
Stefan J. Kollet
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2801–2809, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2801-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2801-2016, 2016
Yujin Zeng, Zhenghui Xie, Yan Yu, Shuang Liu, Linying Wang, Binghao Jia, Peihua Qin, and Yaning Chen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2333–2352, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2333-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2333-2016, 2016
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In arid areas, stream–aquifer water exchange essentially sustains the growth and subsistence of riparian ecosystem. To quantify this effect for intensity and range, a stream–riverbank scheme was incorporated into a state-of-the-art land model, and some runs were set up over Heihe River basin, northwestern China. The results show that the hydrology circle is significantly changed, and the ecological system is benefitted greatly by the river water lateral transfer within a 1 km range to the stream.
A. I. Gevaert, A. J. Teuling, R. Uijlenhoet, S. B. DeLong, T. E. Huxman, L. A. Pangle, D. D. Breshears, J. Chorover, J. D. Pelletier, S. R. Saleska, X. Zeng, and P. A. Troch
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 3681–3692, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3681-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3681-2014, 2014
U. Nachshon, A. Ireson, G. van der Kamp, S. R. Davies, and H. S. Wheater
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 1251–1263, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1251-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-1251-2014, 2014
J. H. Spaaks and W. Bouten
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 3455–3472, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3455-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3455-2013, 2013
S. Han, D. Xu, and S. Wang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3115–3125, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3115-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3115-2012, 2012
S. Reinfried, S. Tempelmann, and U. Aeschbacher
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1365–1377, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1365-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1365-2012, 2012
L. Merino-Martín, M. Moreno-de las Heras, S. Pérez-Domingo, T. Espigares, and J. M. Nicolau
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1305–1320, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1305-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1305-2012, 2012
M. Ali, G. Sterk, M. Seeger, M. Boersema, and P. Peters
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 591–601, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-591-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-591-2012, 2012
L. Gong, S. Halldin, and C.-Y. Xu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 2481–2494, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-2481-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-2481-2011, 2011
W. Ma, Y. Ma, Z. Hu, Z. Su, J. Wang, and H. Ishikawa
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1403–1413, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1403-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1403-2011, 2011
E. L. Wipfler, K. Metselaar, J. C. van Dam, R. A. Feddes, E. van Meijgaard, L. H. van Ulft, B. van den Hurk, S. J. Zwart, and W. G. M. Bastiaanssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1257–1271, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1257-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1257-2011, 2011
W. Korres, C. N. Koyama, P. Fiener, and K. Schneider
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 751–764, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-751-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-751-2010, 2010
H. Makurira, H. H. G. Savenije, and S. Uhlenbrook
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 627–638, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-627-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-627-2010, 2010
C. H. Luce and D. G. Tarboton
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 535–543, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-535-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-535-2010, 2010
J. Liu, S. Kang, T. Gong, and A. Lu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 481–489, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-481-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-481-2010, 2010
A. I. J. M. van Dijk
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 447–458, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-447-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-447-2010, 2010
H. H. Bulcock and G. P. W. Jewitt
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 383–392, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-383-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-383-2010, 2010
L. S. Kuchment, P. Romanov, A. N. Gelfan, and V. N. Demidov
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 339–350, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-339-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-339-2010, 2010
E. Alcântara, E. Novo, J. Stech, J. Lorenzzetti, C. Barbosa, A. Assireu, and A. Souza
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 351–364, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-351-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-351-2010, 2010
I.-Y. Yeo and J.-M. Guldmann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 325–338, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-325-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-325-2010, 2010
C. L. Schneider, S. Attinger, J.-O. Delfs, and A. Hildebrandt
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 279–289, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-279-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-279-2010, 2010
G. Baroni, A. Facchi, C. Gandolfi, B. Ortuani, D. Horeschi, and J. C. van Dam
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 251–270, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-251-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-251-2010, 2010
C. Medici, S. Bernal, A. Butturini, F. Sabater, M. Martin, A. J. Wade, and F. Frances
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 223–237, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-223-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-223-2010, 2010
A. Petrone and F. Preti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 239–250, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-239-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-239-2010, 2010
A. I. J. M. van Dijk
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 159–169, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-159-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-159-2010, 2010
C. Gruhier, P. de Rosnay, S. Hasenauer, T. Holmes, R. de Jeu, Y. Kerr, E. Mougin, E. Njoku, F. Timouk, W. Wagner, and M. Zribi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 141–156, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-141-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-141-2010, 2010
M. Barnolas, T. Rigo, and M. C. Llasat
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 129–139, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-129-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-129-2010, 2010
A. Schmidt, J. J. Gibson, I. R. Santos, M. Schubert, K. Tattrie, and H. Weiss
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 79–89, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-79-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-79-2010, 2010
R. Liu, J. Wen, X. Wang, L. Wang, H. Tian, T. T. Zhang, X. K. Shi, J. H. Zhang, and SH. N. Lv
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 47–58, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-47-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-47-2010, 2010
S. Werth and A. Güntner
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 59–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-59-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-59-2010, 2010
H. Lin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 25–45, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-25-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-25-2010, 2010
A. Ducharne
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2399–2412, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2399-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2399-2009, 2009
J. E. Barrett, M. N. Gooseff, and C. Takacs-Vesbach
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2349–2358, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009, 2009
V. García-García, R. Gómez, M. R. Vidal-Abarca, and M. L. Suárez
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2359–2371, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2359-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2359-2009, 2009
M. Shamsudduha, R. E. Chandler, R. G. Taylor, and K. M. Ahmed
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2373–2385, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2373-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2373-2009, 2009
J. C. M. Andersson, A. J. B. Zehnder, G. P. W. Jewitt, and H. Yang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2329–2347, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2329-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2329-2009, 2009
S. Binet, L. Spadini, C. Bertrand, Y. Guglielmi, J. Mudry, and C. Scavia
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2315–2327, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2315-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2315-2009, 2009
A. Bárdossy and G. G. S. Pegram
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2299–2314, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2299-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2299-2009, 2009
K. Dontsova, C. I. Steefel, S. Desilets, A. Thompson, and J. Chorover
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2273–2286, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2273-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2273-2009, 2009
D. Yamazaki, T. Oki, and S. Kanae
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2241–2251, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2241-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2241-2009, 2009
L. Rapp and K. Bishop
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2191–2201, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2191-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2191-2009, 2009
Cited articles
Allen, S. T. and Kirchner, J. W.: Potential effects of cryogenic extraction biases on plant water source partitioning inferred from xylem-water isotope ratios, Hydrol. Process., 36, e14483, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14483, 2022.
Allen, S. T., von Freyberg, J., Weiler, M., Goldsmith, G. R., and Kirchner, J. W.: The Seasonal Origins of Streamwater in Switzerland, Geophys. Res. Lett., 46, 10425–10434, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084552, 2019.
Barbecot, F., Guillon, S., Pili, E., Larocque, M., Gibert-Brunet, E., Hélie, J.-F., Noret, A., Plain, C., Schneider, V., Mattei, A., and Meyzonnat, G.: Using Water Stable Isotopes in the Unsaturated Zone to Quantify Recharge in Two Contrasted Infiltration Regimes, Vadose Zone J., 17, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.09.0170, 2018.
Berghuijs, W. R. and Kirchner, J. W.: The relationship between contrasting ages of groundwater and streamflow: Connecting Storage and Streamflow Ages, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 8925–8935, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074962, 2017.
Bernhard, F., Floriancic, M. G., Treydte, K., Gessler, A., Kirchner, J. W., and Meusburger, K.: Tree- and stand-scale variability of xylem water stable isotope signatures in mature beech, oak and spruce, Ecohydrology, 17, e2614, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2614, 2024.
Beven, K. and Germann, P.: Macropores and water flow in soils, Water Resour. Res., 18, 1311–1325, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR018i005p01311, 1982.
Brooks, R. J., Barnard, H. R., Coulombe, R., and McDonnell, J. J.: Ecohydrologic separation of water between trees and streams in a Mediterranean climate, Nat. Geosci., 3, 100–104, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo722, 2010.
Burt, E. I., Coayla Rimachi, D. H., Ccahuana Quispe, A. J., Atwood, A., and West, A. J.: Isotope-derived young water fractions in streamflow across the tropical Andes mountains and Amazon floodplain, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2883–2898, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2883-2023, 2023.
Ceperley, N., Zuecco, G., Beria, H., Carturan, L., Michelon, A., Penna, D., Larsen, J., and Schaefli, B.: Seasonal snow cover decreases young water fractions in high Alpine catchments, Hydrol. Process., 34, 4794–4813, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13937, 2020.
Chen, Y., Helliker, B. R., Tang, X., Li, F., Zhou, Y., and Song, X.: Stem water cryogenic extraction biases estimation in deuterium isotope composition of plant source water, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 117, 33345–33350, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2014422117, 2020.
Floriancic, M. G., Allen, S. T., Meier, R., Truniger, L., Kirchner, J. W., and Molnar, P.: Potential for significant precipitation cycling by forest-floor litter and deadwood, Ecohydrology, 16, e2493, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2493, 2023.
Floriancic, M. G., Allen, S. T., and Kirchner, J. W.: Isotopic evidence for seasonal water sources in tree xylem and forest soils, Ecohydrology, 17, e2641, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2641, 2024a.
Floriancic, M. G., Stockinger, M. P., Kirchner, J. W., and Stumpp, C.: Monthly new water fractions and their relationships with climate and catchment properties across Alpine rivers, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3675–3694, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3675-2024, 2024b.
Gallart, F., Valiente, M., Llorens, P., Cayuela, C., Sprenger, M., and Latron, J.: Investigating young water fractions in a small Mediterranean mountain catchment: Both precipitation forcing and sampling frequency matter, Hydrol. Process., 34, 3618–3634, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13806, 2020.
Gentile, A., Canone, D., Ceperley, N., Gisolo, D., Previati, M., Zuecco, G., Schaefli, B., and Ferraris, S.: Towards a conceptualization of the hydrological processes behind changes of young water fraction with elevation: a focus on mountainous alpine catchments, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2301–2323, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2301-2023, 2023.
Geris, J., Tetzlaff, D., McDonnell, J., Anderson, J., Paton, G., and Soulsby, C.: Ecohydrological separation in wet, low energy northern environments? A preliminary assessment using different soil water extraction techniques, Hydrol. Process., 29, 5139–5152, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10603, 2015.
Gerrits, A. M. J. and Savenije, H. H. G.: Forest Floor Interception, in: Forest Hydrology and Biogeochemistry: Synthesis of Past Research and Future Directions, edited by: Levia, D. F., Carlyle-Moses, D., and Tanaka, T., Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, 445–454, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1363-5_22, 2011.
Goldsmith, G. R., Muñoz-Villers, L. E., Holwerda, F., McDonnell, J. J., Asbjornsen, H., and Dawson, T. E.: Stable isotopes reveal linkages among ecohydrological processes in a seasonally dry tropical montane cloud forest, Ecohydrology, 5, 779–790, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.268, 2012.
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Hervé-Fernández, P., Oyarzún, C., Brumbt, C., Huygens, D., Bodé, S., Verhoest, N. E. C., and Boeckx, P.: Assessing the `two water worlds' hypothesis and water sources for native and exotic evergreen species in south-central Chile, Hydrol. Process., 30, 4227–4241, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10984, 2016.
Hewlett, J. D. and Hibbert, A. R.: Factors Affecting the Response of Small Watersheds to Precipitation in Humid Areas, in: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Forest Hydrology, Pergamon, edited by: Sopper, W. E. and Lull, H. W., Pennsylvania State University, New York, 275–290, 496013670, 1967.
Jasechko, S.: Global Isotope Hydrogeology – Review, Rev. Geophys., 57, 835–965, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018RG000627, 2019.
Jasechko, S., Birks, S. J., Gleeson, T., Wada, Y., Fawcett, P. J., Sharp, Z. D., McDonnell, J. J., and Welker, J. M.: The pronounced seasonality of global groundwater recharge, Water Resour. Res., 50, 8845–8867, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014WR015809, 2014.
Jasechko, S., Kirchner, J. W., Welker, J. M., and McDonnell, J. J.: Substantial proportion of global streamflow less than three months old, Nat. Geosci., 9, 126, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2636, 2016.
Jasechko, S., Perrone, D., Befus, K. M., Bayani Cardenas, M., Ferguson, G., Gleeson, T., Luijendijk, E., McDonnell, J. J., Taylor, R. G., Wada, Y., and Kirchner, J. W.: Global aquifers dominated by fossil groundwaters but wells vulnerable to modern contamination, Nat. Geosci., 10, 425–429, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2943, 2017.
Kirchner, J. W.: A double paradox in catchment hydrology and geochemistry, Hydrol. Process., 17, 871–874, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5108, 2003.
Kirchner, J. W.: Aggregation in environmental systems – Part 1: Seasonal tracer cycles quantify young water fractions, but not mean transit times, in spatially heterogeneous catchments, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 279–297, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-279-2016, 2016a.
Kirchner, J. W.: Aggregation in environmental systems – Part 2: Catchment mean transit times and young water fractions under hydrologic nonstationarity, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 299–328, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-299-2016, 2016b.
Kirchner, J. W.: Quantifying new water fractions and transit time distributions using ensemble hydrograph separation: theory and benchmark tests, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 303–349, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-303-2019, 2019.
Kirchner, J. W. and Knapp, J. L. A.: Technical note: Calculation scripts for ensemble hydrograph separation, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5539–5558, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5539-2020, 2020.
Kirchner, J. W., Benettin, P., and van Meerveld, I.: Instructive Surprises in the Hydrological Functioning of Landscapes, Annu. Rev. Earth Pl. Sc., 51, 277–299, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-071822-100356, 2023.
Knapp, J. L. A., Neal, C., Schlumpf, A., Neal, M., and Kirchner, J. W.: New water fractions and transit time distributions at Plynlimon, Wales, estimated from stable water isotopes in precipitation and streamflow, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4367–4388, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4367-2019, 2019.
Martinetti, S., Molnar, P., Carminati, A., and Floriancic, M. G.: Contrasting the soil-plant hydraulics of beech and spruce by linking root water uptake to transpiration dynamics, Tree Physiol., in review, 2024.
McDonnell, J. J.: A Rationale for Old Water Discharge Through Macropores in a Steep, Humid Catchment, Water Resour. Res., 26, 2821–2832, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR026i011p02821, 1990.
Neal, C. and Rosier, P. T. W.: Chemical studies of chloride and stable oxygen isotopes in two conifer afforested and moorland sites in the British uplands, J. Hydrol., 115, 269–283, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(90)90209-G, 1990.
Orlowski, N., Breuer, L., and McDonnell, J. J.: Critical issues with cryogenic extraction of soil water for stable isotope analysis, Ecohydrology, 9, 1–5, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1722, 2016.
Sprenger, M. and Allen, S. T.: What Ecohydrologic Separation Is and Where We Can Go With It, Water Resour. Res., 56, e2020WR027238, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027238, 2020.
Sprenger, M., Leistert, H., Gimbel, K., and Weiler, M.: Illuminating hydrological processes at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface with water stable isotopes, Rev. Geophys., 54, 674–704, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015RG000515, 2016.
Sprenger, M., Llorens, P., Cayuela, C., Gallart, F., and Latron, J.: Mechanisms of consistently disjunct soil water pools over (pore) space and time, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2751–2762, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2751-2019, 2019a.
Sprenger, M., Stumpp, C., Weiler, M., Aeschbach, W., Allen, S. T., Benettin, P., Dubbert, M., Hartmann, A., Hrachowitz, M., Kirchner, J. W., McDonnell, J. J., Orlowski, N., Penna, D., Pfahl, S., Rinderer, M., Rodriguez, N., Schmidt, M., and Werner, C.: The Demographics of Water: A Review of Water Ages in the Critical Zone, Rev. Geophys., 57, 800–834, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018RG000633, 2019b.
Sun, Q., Klaus, V. H., Wittwer, R., Liu, Y., van der Heijden, M. G. A., Gilgen, A. K., and Buchmann, N.: Water uptake patterns of pea and barley responded to drought but not to cropping systems, Biogeosciences, 19, 1853–1869, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1853-2022, 2022.
von Freyberg, J., Studer, B., and Kirchner, J. W.: A lab in the field: high-frequency analysis of water quality and stable isotopes in stream water and precipitation, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1721–1739, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1721-2017, 2017.
von Freyberg, J., Allen, S. T., Seeger, S., Weiler, M., and Kirchner, J. W.: Sensitivity of young water fractions to hydro-climatic forcing and landscape properties across 22 Swiss catchments, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3841–3861, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3841-2018, 2018.
von Freyberg, J., Knapp, J. L. A., Rücker, A., Studer, B., and Kirchner, J. W.: Technical note: Evaluation of a low-cost evaporation protection method for portable water samplers, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5821–5834, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5821-2020, 2020.
Waring, R. H. and Running, S. W.: Forest Ecosystems, in: Analysis at Multiple Scales, 3rd edn., Elsevier, ISBN 9780123706058, 2007.
Weihermüller, L., Kasteel, R., Vanderborght, J., Pütz, T., and Vereecken, H.: Soil Water Extraction with a Suction Cup: Results of Numerical Simulations, Vadose Zone J., 4, 899–907, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2004.0156, 2005.
Executive editor
The paper includes a very rare 3 year data collection of stable water isotopes in surface and subsurface waters. The innovative analysis challenge general conceptualizations of new precipitation inputs wetting dry soils or displacing previously stored waters from those soils. These observations illustrate how measurements of isotopic variability across different subsurface depths, hillslope positions, and time scales can help to constrain potential flow processes delivering precipitation to deep soils and streams.
The paper includes a very rare 3 year data collection of stable water isotopes in surface and...
Short summary
We use a 3-year time series of tracer data of streamflow and soils to show how water moves through the subsurface to become streamflow. Less than 50% of soil water consists of rainfall from the last 3 weeks. Most annual streamflow is older than 3 months, and waters in deep subsurface layers are even older; thus deep layers are not the only source of streamflow. After wet periods more rainfall was found in the subsurface and the stream, suggesting that water moves quicker through wet landscapes.
We use a 3-year time series of tracer data of streamflow and soils to show how water moves...
