Articles | Volume 29, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1395-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-29-1395-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
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17 Mar 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 17 Mar 2025
| 17 Mar 2025
Meteorological ingredients of heavy precipitation and subsequent lake-filling episodes in the northwestern Sahara
Joëlle C. Rieder
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Franziska Aemisegger
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Elad Dente
The Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Sonja Wahl, Benjamin Walter, Franziska Aemisegger, Luca Bianchi, and Michael Lehning
The Cryosphere, 18, 4493–4515, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4493-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4493-2024, 2024
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Wind-driven airborne transport of snow is a frequent phenomenon in snow-covered regions and a process difficult to study in the field as it is unfolding over large distances. Thus, we use a ring wind tunnel with infinite fetch positioned in a cold laboratory to study the evolution of the shape and size of airborne snow. With the help of stable water isotope analyses, we identify the hitherto unobserved process of airborne snow metamorphism that leads to snow particle rounding and growth.
Ellina Agayar, Franziska Aemisegger, Moshe Armon, Alexander Scherrmann, and Heini Wernli
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2441–2459, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2441-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-2441-2024, 2024
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This study presents the results of a climatological investigation of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) in Ukraine for the period 1979–2019. During all seasons EPEs are associated with pronounced upper-level potential vorticity (PV) anomalies. In addition, we find distinct seasonal and regional differences in moisture sources. Several extreme precipitation cases demonstrate the importance of these processes, complemented by a detailed synoptic analysis.
Esther S. Breuninger, Julie Tolu, Iris Thurnherr, Franziska Aemisegger, Aryeh Feinberg, Sylvain Bouchet, Jeroen E. Sonke, Véronique Pont, Heini Wernli, and Lenny H. E. Winkel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2491–2510, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2491-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2491-2024, 2024
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Atmospheric deposition is an important source of selenium (Se) and other health-relevant trace elements in surface environments. We found that the variability in elemental concentrations in atmospheric deposition reflects not only changes in emission sources but also weather conditions during atmospheric removal. Depending on the sources and if Se is derived more locally or from further away, the Se forms can be different, affecting the bioavailability of Se atmospherically supplied to soils.
Leonie Villiger and Franziska Aemisegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 957–976, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-957-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-957-2024, 2024
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Three numerical simulations performed with an isotope-enabled weather forecast model are used to investigate the cloud–circulation coupling between shallow trade-wind cumulus clouds and atmospheric circulations on different scales. It is shown that stable water isotopes near cloud base in the tropics reflect (1) the diel cycle of the atmospheric circulation, which drives the formation and dissipation of clouds, and (2) changes in the large-scale circulation over the North Atlantic.
Leonie Villiger, Marina Dütsch, Sandrine Bony, Marie Lothon, Stephan Pfahl, Heini Wernli, Pierre-Etienne Brilouet, Patrick Chazette, Pierre Coutris, Julien Delanoë, Cyrille Flamant, Alfons Schwarzenboeck, Martin Werner, and Franziska Aemisegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14643–14672, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14643-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14643-2023, 2023
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This study evaluates three numerical simulations performed with an isotope-enabled weather forecast model and investigates the coupling between shallow trade-wind cumulus clouds and atmospheric circulations on different scales. We show that the simulations reproduce key characteristics of shallow trade-wind clouds as observed during the field experiment EUREC4A and that the spatial distribution of stable-water-vapour isotopes is shaped by the overturning circulation associated with these clouds.
Haggai Eyal, Moshe Armon, Yehouda Enzel, and Nadav G. Lensky
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 547–574, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-547-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-547-2023, 2023
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Extracting paleoenvironmets from sedimentologic and geomorphic records is a main goal in Earth sciences. We study a chain of processes connecting causative Mediterranean cyclones, coeval floods, storm waves generated by mesoscale funneled wind, and coastal gravel transport. This causes northward dispersion of gravel along the modern Dead Sea coast, which has also persisted since the late Pleistocene, resulting in beach berms and fan deltas always being deposited north of channel mouths.
Adriana Bailey, Franziska Aemisegger, Leonie Villiger, Sebastian A. Los, Gilles Reverdin, Estefanía Quiñones Meléndez, Claudia Acquistapace, Dariusz B. Baranowski, Tobias Böck, Sandrine Bony, Tobias Bordsdorff, Derek Coffman, Simon P. de Szoeke, Christopher J. Diekmann, Marina Dütsch, Benjamin Ertl, Joseph Galewsky, Dean Henze, Przemyslaw Makuch, David Noone, Patricia K. Quinn, Michael Rösch, Andreas Schneider, Matthias Schneider, Sabrina Speich, Bjorn Stevens, and Elizabeth J. Thompson
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 465–495, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-465-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-465-2023, 2023
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One of the novel ways EUREC4A set out to investigate trade wind clouds and their coupling to the large-scale circulation was through an extensive network of isotopic measurements in water vapor, precipitation, and seawater. Samples were taken from the island of Barbados, from aboard two aircraft, and from aboard four ships. This paper describes the full collection of EUREC4A isotopic in situ data and guides readers to complementary remotely sensed water vapor isotope ratios.
Iris Thurnherr and Franziska Aemisegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10353–10373, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10353-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10353-2022, 2022
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Stable water isotopes in marine boundary layer vapour are strongly influenced by the strength of air–sea fluxes. Here, we investigate a distinct vapour isotope signal observed in the warm sector of Southern Ocean cyclones. Single-process air parcel models are used together with high-resolution isotope-enabled simulations with the weather prediction model COSMOiso to improve our understanding of the importance of air–sea fluxes for the moisture cycling in the context of extratropical cyclones.
Andries Jan de Vries, Franziska Aemisegger, Stephan Pfahl, and Heini Wernli
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8863–8895, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8863-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8863-2022, 2022
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The Earth's water cycle contains the common H2O molecule but also the less abundant, heavier HDO. We use their different physical properties to study tropical ice clouds in model simulations of the West African monsoon. Isotope signals reveal different processes through which ice clouds form and decay in deep-convective and widespread cirrus. Previously observed variations in upper-tropospheric vapour isotopes are explained by microphysical processes in convective updraughts and downdraughts.
Sandrine Bony, Marie Lothon, Julien Delanoë, Pierre Coutris, Jean-Claude Etienne, Franziska Aemisegger, Anna Lea Albright, Thierry André, Hubert Bellec, Alexandre Baron, Jean-François Bourdinot, Pierre-Etienne Brilouet, Aurélien Bourdon, Jean-Christophe Canonici, Christophe Caudoux, Patrick Chazette, Michel Cluzeau, Céline Cornet, Jean-Philippe Desbios, Dominique Duchanoy, Cyrille Flamant, Benjamin Fildier, Christophe Gourbeyre, Laurent Guiraud, Tetyana Jiang, Claude Lainard, Christophe Le Gac, Christian Lendroit, Julien Lernould, Thierry Perrin, Frédéric Pouvesle, Pascal Richard, Nicolas Rochetin, Kevin Salaün, Alfons Schwarzenboeck, Guillaume Seurat, Bjorn Stevens, Julien Totems, Ludovic Touzé-Peiffer, Gilles Vergez, Jessica Vial, Leonie Villiger, and Raphaela Vogel
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2021–2064, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2021-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2021-2022, 2022
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The French ATR42 research aircraft participated in the EUREC4A international field campaign that took place in 2020 over the tropical Atlantic, east of Barbados. We present the extensive instrumentation of the aircraft, the research flights and the different measurements. We show that the ATR measurements of humidity, wind, aerosols and cloudiness in the lower atmosphere are robust and consistent with each other. They will make it possible to advance understanding of cloud–climate interactions.
Andreas Schneider, Tobias Borsdorff, Joost aan de Brugh, Alba Lorente, Franziska Aemisegger, David Noone, Dean Henze, Rigel Kivi, and Jochen Landgraf
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2251–2275, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2251-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2251-2022, 2022
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This paper presents an extended H₂O/HDO total column dataset from short-wave infrared measurements by TROPOMI including cloudy and clear-sky scenes. Coverage is tremendously increased compared to previous TROPOMI HDO datasets. The new dataset is validated against recent ground-based FTIR measurements from TCCON and against aircraft measurements over the ocean. The use of the new dataset is demonstrated with a case study of a cold air outbreak in January 2020.
Francesco Marra, Moshe Armon, and Efrat Morin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1439–1458, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1439-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1439-2022, 2022
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We present a new method for quantifying the probability of occurrence of extreme rainfall using radar data, and we use it to examine coastal and orographic effects on extremes. We identify three regimes, directly related to precipitation physical processes, which respond differently to these forcings. The methods and results are of interest for researchers and practitioners using radar for the analysis of extremes, risk managers, water resources managers, and climate change impact studies.
Leonie Villiger, Heini Wernli, Maxi Boettcher, Martin Hagen, and Franziska Aemisegger
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 59–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-59-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-59-2022, 2022
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The coupling between the large-scale atmospheric circulation and the clouds in the trade-wind region is complex and not yet fully understood. In this study, the formation pathway of two anomalous cloud layers over Barbados during the field campaign EUREC4A is described. The two case studies highlight the influence of remote weather systems on the local environmental conditions in Barbados.
Yoav Ben Dor, Francesco Marra, Moshe Armon, Yehouda Enzel, Achim Brauer, Markus Julius Schwab, and Efrat Morin
Clim. Past, 17, 2653–2677, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2653-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2653-2021, 2021
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Laminated sediments from the deepest part of the Dead Sea unravel the hydrological response of the eastern Mediterranean to past climate changes. This study demonstrates the importance of geological archives in complementing modern hydrological measurements that do not fully capture natural hydroclimatic variability, which is crucial to configure for understanding the impact of climate change on the hydrological cycle in subtropical regions.
Fabienne Dahinden, Franziska Aemisegger, Heini Wernli, Matthias Schneider, Christopher J. Diekmann, Benjamin Ertl, Peter Knippertz, Martin Werner, and Stephan Pfahl
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16319–16347, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16319-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16319-2021, 2021
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We use high-resolution numerical isotope modelling and Lagrangian backward trajectories to identify moisture transport pathways and governing physical and dynamical processes that affect the free-tropospheric humidity and isotopic variability over the eastern subtropical North Atlantic. Furthermore, we conduct a thorough isotope modelling validation with aircraft and remote-sensing observations of water vapour isotopes.
Bjorn Stevens, Sandrine Bony, David Farrell, Felix Ament, Alan Blyth, Christopher Fairall, Johannes Karstensen, Patricia K. Quinn, Sabrina Speich, Claudia Acquistapace, Franziska Aemisegger, Anna Lea Albright, Hugo Bellenger, Eberhard Bodenschatz, Kathy-Ann Caesar, Rebecca Chewitt-Lucas, Gijs de Boer, Julien Delanoë, Leif Denby, Florian Ewald, Benjamin Fildier, Marvin Forde, Geet George, Silke Gross, Martin Hagen, Andrea Hausold, Karen J. Heywood, Lutz Hirsch, Marek Jacob, Friedhelm Jansen, Stefan Kinne, Daniel Klocke, Tobias Kölling, Heike Konow, Marie Lothon, Wiebke Mohr, Ann Kristin Naumann, Louise Nuijens, Léa Olivier, Robert Pincus, Mira Pöhlker, Gilles Reverdin, Gregory Roberts, Sabrina Schnitt, Hauke Schulz, A. Pier Siebesma, Claudia Christine Stephan, Peter Sullivan, Ludovic Touzé-Peiffer, Jessica Vial, Raphaela Vogel, Paquita Zuidema, Nicola Alexander, Lyndon Alves, Sophian Arixi, Hamish Asmath, Gholamhossein Bagheri, Katharina Baier, Adriana Bailey, Dariusz Baranowski, Alexandre Baron, Sébastien Barrau, Paul A. Barrett, Frédéric Batier, Andreas Behrendt, Arne Bendinger, Florent Beucher, Sebastien Bigorre, Edmund Blades, Peter Blossey, Olivier Bock, Steven Böing, Pierre Bosser, Denis Bourras, Pascale Bouruet-Aubertot, Keith Bower, Pierre Branellec, Hubert Branger, Michal Brennek, Alan Brewer, Pierre-Etienne Brilouet, Björn Brügmann, Stefan A. Buehler, Elmo Burke, Ralph Burton, Radiance Calmer, Jean-Christophe Canonici, Xavier Carton, Gregory Cato Jr., Jude Andre Charles, Patrick Chazette, Yanxu Chen, Michal T. Chilinski, Thomas Choularton, Patrick Chuang, Shamal Clarke, Hugh Coe, Céline Cornet, Pierre Coutris, Fleur Couvreux, Susanne Crewell, Timothy Cronin, Zhiqiang Cui, Yannis Cuypers, Alton Daley, Gillian M. Damerell, Thibaut Dauhut, Hartwig Deneke, Jean-Philippe Desbios, Steffen Dörner, Sebastian Donner, Vincent Douet, Kyla Drushka, Marina Dütsch, André Ehrlich, Kerry Emanuel, Alexandros Emmanouilidis, Jean-Claude Etienne, Sheryl Etienne-Leblanc, Ghislain Faure, Graham Feingold, Luca Ferrero, Andreas Fix, Cyrille Flamant, Piotr Jacek Flatau, Gregory R. Foltz, Linda Forster, Iulian Furtuna, Alan Gadian, Joseph Galewsky, Martin Gallagher, Peter Gallimore, Cassandra Gaston, Chelle Gentemann, Nicolas Geyskens, Andreas Giez, John Gollop, Isabelle Gouirand, Christophe Gourbeyre, Dörte de Graaf, Geiske E. de Groot, Robert Grosz, Johannes Güttler, Manuel Gutleben, Kashawn Hall, George Harris, Kevin C. Helfer, Dean Henze, Calvert Herbert, Bruna Holanda, Antonio Ibanez-Landeta, Janet Intrieri, Suneil Iyer, Fabrice Julien, Heike Kalesse, Jan Kazil, Alexander Kellman, Abiel T. Kidane, Ulrike Kirchner, Marcus Klingebiel, Mareike Körner, Leslie Ann Kremper, Jan Kretzschmar, Ovid Krüger, Wojciech Kumala, Armin Kurz, Pierre L'Hégaret, Matthieu Labaste, Tom Lachlan-Cope, Arlene Laing, Peter Landschützer, Theresa Lang, Diego Lange, Ingo Lange, Clément Laplace, Gauke Lavik, Rémi Laxenaire, Caroline Le Bihan, Mason Leandro, Nathalie Lefevre, Marius Lena, Donald Lenschow, Qiang Li, Gary Lloyd, Sebastian Los, Niccolò Losi, Oscar Lovell, Christopher Luneau, Przemyslaw Makuch, Szymon Malinowski, Gaston Manta, Eleni Marinou, Nicholas Marsden, Sebastien Masson, Nicolas Maury, Bernhard Mayer, Margarette Mayers-Als, Christophe Mazel, Wayne McGeary, James C. McWilliams, Mario Mech, Melina Mehlmann, Agostino Niyonkuru Meroni, Theresa Mieslinger, Andreas Minikin, Peter Minnett, Gregor Möller, Yanmichel Morfa Avalos, Caroline Muller, Ionela Musat, Anna Napoli, Almuth Neuberger, Christophe Noisel, David Noone, Freja Nordsiek, Jakub L. Nowak, Lothar Oswald, Douglas J. Parker, Carolyn Peck, Renaud Person, Miriam Philippi, Albert Plueddemann, Christopher Pöhlker, Veronika Pörtge, Ulrich Pöschl, Lawrence Pologne, Michał Posyniak, Marc Prange, Estefanía Quiñones Meléndez, Jule Radtke, Karim Ramage, Jens Reimann, Lionel Renault, Klaus Reus, Ashford Reyes, Joachim Ribbe, Maximilian Ringel, Markus Ritschel, Cesar B. Rocha, Nicolas Rochetin, Johannes Röttenbacher, Callum Rollo, Haley Royer, Pauline Sadoulet, Leo Saffin, Sanola Sandiford, Irina Sandu, Michael Schäfer, Vera Schemann, Imke Schirmacher, Oliver Schlenczek, Jerome Schmidt, Marcel Schröder, Alfons Schwarzenboeck, Andrea Sealy, Christoph J. Senff, Ilya Serikov, Samkeyat Shohan, Elizabeth Siddle, Alexander Smirnov, Florian Späth, Branden Spooner, M. Katharina Stolla, Wojciech Szkółka, Simon P. de Szoeke, Stéphane Tarot, Eleni Tetoni, Elizabeth Thompson, Jim Thomson, Lorenzo Tomassini, Julien Totems, Alma Anna Ubele, Leonie Villiger, Jan von Arx, Thomas Wagner, Andi Walther, Ben Webber, Manfred Wendisch, Shanice Whitehall, Anton Wiltshire, Allison A. Wing, Martin Wirth, Jonathan Wiskandt, Kevin Wolf, Ludwig Worbes, Ethan Wright, Volker Wulfmeyer, Shanea Young, Chidong Zhang, Dongxiao Zhang, Florian Ziemen, Tobias Zinner, and Martin Zöger
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4067–4119, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4067-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4067-2021, 2021
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The EUREC4A field campaign, designed to test hypothesized mechanisms by which clouds respond to warming and benchmark next-generation Earth-system models, is presented. EUREC4A comprised roughly 5 weeks of measurements in the downstream winter trades of the North Atlantic – eastward and southeastward of Barbados. It was the first campaign that attempted to characterize the full range of processes and scales influencing trade wind clouds.
Yafei Li, Franziska Aemisegger, Andreas Riedl, Nina Buchmann, and Werner Eugster
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2617–2648, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2617-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2617-2021, 2021
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During dry spells, dew and fog potentially play an increasingly important role in temperate grasslands. Research on the combined mechanisms of dew and fog inputs to ecosystems and distillation of water vapor from soil to plant surfaces is rare. Our results using stable water isotopes highlight the importance of dew and fog inputs to temperate grasslands during dry spells and reveal the complexity of the local water cycling in such conditions, including different pathways of dew and fog inputs.
Iris Thurnherr, Katharina Hartmuth, Lukas Jansing, Josué Gehring, Maxi Boettcher, Irina Gorodetskaya, Martin Werner, Heini Wernli, and Franziska Aemisegger
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 331–357, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-331-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-331-2021, 2021
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Extratropical cyclones are important for the transport of moisture from low to high latitudes. In this study, we investigate how the isotopic composition of water vapour is affected by horizontal temperature advection associated with extratropical cyclones using measurements and modelling. It is shown that air–sea moisture fluxes induced by this horizontal temperature advection lead to the strong variability observed in the isotopic composition of water vapour in the marine boundary layer.
Franziska Aemisegger, Raphaela Vogel, Pascal Graf, Fabienne Dahinden, Leonie Villiger, Friedhelm Jansen, Sandrine Bony, Bjorn Stevens, and Heini Wernli
Weather Clim. Dynam., 2, 281–309, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-281-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-2-281-2021, 2021
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The interaction of clouds in the trade wind region with the atmospheric flow is complex and at the heart of uncertainties associated with climate projections. In this study, a natural tracer of atmospheric circulation is used to establish a link between air originating from dry regions of the midlatitudes and the occurrence of specific cloud patterns. Two pathways involving transport within midlatitude weather systems are identified, by which air is brought into the trades within 5–10 d.
Yair Rinat, Francesco Marra, Moshe Armon, Asher Metzger, Yoav Levi, Pavel Khain, Elyakom Vadislavsky, Marcelo Rosensaft, and Efrat Morin
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 917–939, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-917-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-917-2021, 2021
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Flash floods are among the most devastating and lethal natural hazards worldwide. The study of such events is important as flash floods are poorly understood and documented processes, especially in deserts. A small portion of the studied basin (1 %–20 %) experienced extreme rainfall intensities resulting in local flash floods of high magnitudes. Flash floods started and reached their peak within tens of minutes. Forecasts poorly predicted the flash floods mostly due to location inaccuracy.
Nicolas Jullien, Étienne Vignon, Michael Sprenger, Franziska Aemisegger, and Alexis Berne
The Cryosphere, 14, 1685–1702, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1685-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1685-2020, 2020
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Although snowfall is the main input of water to the Antarctic ice sheet, snowflakes are often evaporated by dry and fierce winds near the surface of the continent. The amount of snow that actually reaches the ground is therefore considerably reduced. By analyzing the position of cyclones and fronts as well as by back-tracing the atmospheric moisture pathway towards Antarctica, this study explains in which meteorological conditions snowfall is either completely evaporated or reaches the ground.
Iris Thurnherr, Anna Kozachek, Pascal Graf, Yongbiao Weng, Dimitri Bolshiyanov, Sebastian Landwehr, Stephan Pfahl, Julia Schmale, Harald Sodemann, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Alessandro Toffoli, Heini Wernli, and Franziska Aemisegger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 5811–5835, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5811-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5811-2020, 2020
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Stable water isotopes (SWIs) are tracers of moist atmospheric processes. We analyse the impact of large- to small-scale atmospheric processes and various environmental conditions on the variability of SWIs using ship-based SWI measurement in water vapour from the Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Furthermore, simultaneous measurements of SWIs at two altitudes are used to illustrate the potential of such measurements for future research to estimate sea spray evaporation and turbulent moisture fluxes.
Moshe Armon, Francesco Marra, Yehouda Enzel, Dorita Rostkier-Edelstein, and Efrat Morin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1227–1249, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1227-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1227-2020, 2020
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Heavy precipitation events (HPEs), occurring around the globe, lead to natural hazards as well as to water resource recharge. Rainfall patterns during HPEs vary from one case to another and govern their effect. Thus, correct prediction of these patterns is crucial for coping with HPEs. However, the ability of weather models to generate such patterns is unclear. Here, we characterise rainfall patterns during HPEs based on weather radar data and evaluate weather model simulations of these events.
Andreas Schneider, Tobias Borsdorff, Joost aan de Brugh, Franziska Aemisegger, Dietrich G. Feist, Rigel Kivi, Frank Hase, Matthias Schneider, and Jochen Landgraf
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 85–100, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-85-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-85-2020, 2020
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This paper presents a new H2O/HDO data set from TROPOMI short-wave infrared measurements. It is validated against recent ground-based FTIR measurements from the TCCON network. A bias in TCCON HDO (which is not verified) is corrected by fitting a correction factor for the HDO column to match MUSICA δD for common observations. The use of the new TROPOMI data set is demonstrated using a case study of a blocking anticyclone over Europe in July 2018.
Davide Zoccatelli, Francesco Marra, Moshe Armon, Yair Rinat, James A. Smith, and Efrat Morin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2665–2678, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2665-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2665-2019, 2019
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This study presents a comparison of flood properties over multiple Mediterranean and desert catchments. While in Mediterranean areas floods are related to rainfall amount, in deserts we observed a strong connection with the characteristics of the more intense part of storms. Because of the different mechanisms involved, despite having significantly shorter and more localized storms, deserts are able to produce floods with a magnitude comparable to Mediterranean areas.
Keun-Ok Lee, Franziska Aemisegger, Stephan Pfahl, Cyrille Flamant, Jean-Lionel Lacour, and Jean-Pierre Chaboureau
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 7487–7506, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7487-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7487-2019, 2019
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Our study is the first study to investigate the potential benefit of stable water isotopes (SWIs) in the context of a heavy precipitation event in the Mediterranean. As such, our study provides a proof of concept of the usefulness of SWI data to understand the variety of origins and moisture processes associated with air masses feeding the convection over southern Italy.
Related subject area
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Geometric dependency of Tibetan lakes on glacial runoff
Assessing the potential hydrological impact of the Gibe III Dam on Lake Turkana water level using multi-source satellite data
River monitoring from satellite radar altimetry in the Zambezi River basin
Flood occurrence mapping of the middle Mahakam lowland area using satellite radar
Satellite remote sensing of water turbidity in Alqueva reservoir and implications on lake modelling
Hydro-physical processes at the plunge point: an analysis using satellite and in situ data
Regional scale analysis of landform configuration with base-level (isobase) maps
Reconstructing the Tropical Storm Ketsana flood event in Marikina River, Philippines
Reading the bed morphology of a mountain stream: a geomorphometric study on high-resolution topographic data
Miaomiao Qi, Shiyin Liu, Zhifang Zhao, Yongpeng Gao, Fuming Xie, Georg Veh, Letian Xiao, Jinlong Jing, Yu Zhu, and Kunpeng Wu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 969–982, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-969-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-969-2025, 2025
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Here we propose a new mathematically robust and cost-effective model to improve glacial lake water storage estimation. We have also provided a dataset of measured water storage in glacial lakes through field depth measurements. Our model incorporates an automated calculation process and outperforms previous ones, achieving an average relative error of only 14 %. This research offers a valuable tool for researchers seeking to improve the risk assessment of glacial lake outburst floods.
Xingyu Zhou, Lunwu Mou, Tianqi Ao, Xiaorong Huang, and Haiyang Yang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-404, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-404, 2024
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According to the analysis of terrain attributes, using the DSM obtained by drone to conduct a mountainous urban fluvial flood modelling, the resolution of the DSM used should be kept within 1 m to 5 m. However, if larger mountainous cities were involved, in the case of non-extreme discharges, considering the cost of processing, using a resolution of 5 m to 10 m could also meet requirements in terms of inundation area drawing, but there could be a possibility of overestimation of flood depth.
Francis Lessard, Naïm Perreault, and Sylvain Jutras
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1027–1040, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1027-2024, 2024
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Headwaters streams, which are small streams at the top of a watershed, represent two-thirds of the total length of streams, yet their exact locations are still unknown. This article compares different techniques in order to remotely detect the position of these streams. Thus, a database of more than 464 km of headwaters was used to explain what drives their presence. A technique developed in this article makes it possible to detect headwater streams with more accuracy, despite the land uses.
Sijia Li, Shiqi Xu, Kaishan Song, Tiit Kutser, Zhidan Wen, Ge Liu, Yingxin Shang, Lili Lyu, Hui Tao, Xiang Wang, Lele Zhang, and Fangfang Chen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3581–3599, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3581-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3581-2023, 2023
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1. Blue/red and green/red Rrs(λ) are sensitive to lake TSI. 2. Machine learning algorithms reveal optimum performance of TSI retrieval. 3. An accurate TSI model was achieved by MSI imagery data and XGBoost. 4. Trophic status in five limnetic regions was qualified. 5. The 10m TSI products were first produced in 555 typical lakes in China.
Mathilde de Fleury, Laurent Kergoat, and Manuela Grippa
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2189–2204, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2189-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2189-2023, 2023
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This study surveys small lakes and reservoirs, which are vital resources in the Sahel, through a multi-sensor satellite approach. Water height changes compared to evaporation losses in dry seasons highlight anthropogenic withdrawals and water supplies due to river and groundwater connections. Some reservoirs display weak withdrawals, suggesting low usage may be due to security issues. The
satellite-derived water balance thus proved effective in estimating water resources in semi-arid areas.
Antoine Di Ciacca, Scott Wilson, Jasmine Kang, and Thomas Wöhling
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 703–722, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-703-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-703-2023, 2023
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We present a novel framework to estimate how much water is lost by ephemeral rivers using satellite imagery and machine learning. This framework proved to be an efficient approach, requiring less fieldwork and generating more data than traditional methods, at a similar accuracy. Furthermore, applying this framework improved our understanding of the water transfer at our study site. Our framework is easily transferable to other ephemeral rivers and could be applied to long time series.
Xidong Chen, Liangyun Liu, Xiao Zhang, Junsheng Li, Shenglei Wang, Yuan Gao, and Jun Mi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3517–3536, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3517-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3517-2022, 2022
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A 30 m LAke Water Secchi Depth (LAWSD30) dataset of China was first developed for 1985–2020, and national-scale water clarity estimations of lakes in China over the past 35 years were analyzed. Lake clarity in China exhibited a significant downward trend before the 21st century, but improved after 2000. The developed LAWSD30 dataset and the evaluation results can provide effective guidance for water preservation and restoration.
Pengcheng Su, Jingjing Liu, Yong Li, Wei Liu, Yang Wang, Chun Ma, and Qimin Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5879–5903, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5879-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5879-2021, 2021
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We identified ± 150 glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin (central Himalayas), and we explore the changes in five lakes over the last few decades based on remote sensing images, field surveys, and satellite photos. We reconstruct the lake basin topography, calculate the water capacity, and propose a water balance equation (WBE) to explain glacial lake evolution in response to local weather conditions. The WBE also provides a framework for the water balance in rivers from glacierized sources.
Concetta Di Mauro, Renaud Hostache, Patrick Matgen, Ramona Pelich, Marco Chini, Peter Jan van Leeuwen, Nancy K. Nichols, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 4081–4097, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4081-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4081-2021, 2021
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This study evaluates how the sequential assimilation of flood extent derived from synthetic aperture radar data can help improve flood forecasting. In particular, we carried out twin experiments based on a synthetically generated dataset with controlled uncertainty. Our empirical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed data assimilation framework, as forecasting errors are substantially reduced as a result of the assimilation.
Connor Mullen, Gopal Penny, and Marc F. Müller
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2373–2386, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2373-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2373-2021, 2021
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The level of lake water is rapidly changing globally, and long-term, consistent observations of lake water extents are essential for ascertaining and attributing these changes. These data are rarely collected and challenging to obtain from satellite imagery. The proposed method addresses these challenges without any local data, and it was successfully validated against lakes with and without ground data. The algorithm is a valuable tool for the reliable historical water extent of changing lakes.
Song Shu, Hongxing Liu, Richard A. Beck, Frédéric Frappart, Johanna Korhonen, Minxuan Lan, Min Xu, Bo Yang, and Yan Huang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1643–1670, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1643-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1643-2021, 2021
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This study comprehensively evaluated 11 satellite radar altimetry missions (including their official retrackers) for lake water level retrieval and developed a strategy for constructing consistent long-term water level records for inland lakes. It is a two-step bias correction and normalization procedure. First, we use Jason-2 as the initial reference to form a consistent TOPEX/Poseidon–Jason series. Then, we use this as the reference to remove the biases with other radar altimetry missions.
Cecile M. M. Kittel, Liguang Jiang, Christian Tøttrup, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 333–357, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-333-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-333-2021, 2021
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In poorly instrumented catchments, satellite altimetry offers a unique possibility to obtain water level observations. Improvements in instrument design have increased the capabilities of altimeters to observe inland water bodies, including rivers. In this study, we demonstrate how a dense Sentinel-3 water surface elevation monitoring network can be established at catchment scale using publicly accessible processing platforms. The network can serve as a useful supplement to ground observations.
Jean Bergeron, Gabriela Siles, Robert Leconte, Mélanie Trudel, Damien Desroches, and Daniel L. Peters
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5985–6000, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5985-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5985-2020, 2020
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We want to assess how well the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will be able to provide information on lake surface water elevation and how much of an impact wind conditions (speed and direction) can have on these retrievals.
Charlotte Marie Emery, Sylvain Biancamaria, Aaron Boone, Sophie Ricci, Mélanie C. Rochoux, Vanessa Pedinotti, and Cédric H. David
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2207–2233, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2207-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2207-2020, 2020
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The flow of freshwater in rivers is commonly studied with computer programs known as hydrological models. An important component of those programs lies in the description of the river environment, such as the channel resistance to the flow, that is critical to accurately predict the river flow but is still not well known. Satellite data can be combined with models to enrich our knowledge of these features. Here, we show that the coming SWOT mission can help better know this channel resistance.
Anette Eltner, Hannes Sardemann, and Jens Grundmann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1429–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1429-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1429-2020, 2020
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An automatic workflow is introduced to measure surface flow velocities in rivers. The provided tool enables the measurement of spatially distributed surface flow velocities independently of the image acquisition perspective. Furthermore, the study illustrates how river discharge in previously ungauged and unmeasured regions can be retrieved, considering the image-based flow velocities and digital elevation models of the studied river reach reconstructed with UAV photogrammetry.
Andreas Kääb, Bas Altena, and Joseph Mascaro
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4233–4247, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4233-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4233-2019, 2019
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Knowledge of water surface velocities in rivers is useful for understanding a wide range of processes and systems, but is difficult to measure over large reaches. Here, we present a novel method to exploit near-simultaneous imagery produced by the Planet cubesat constellation to track river ice floes and estimate water surface velocities. We demonstrate the method for a 60 km long reach of the Amur River and a 200 km long reach of the Yukon River.
Najib Abou Karaki, Simone Fiaschi, Killian Paenen, Mohammad Al-Awabdeh, and Damien Closson
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2111–2127, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2111-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2111-2019, 2019
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The Dead Sea shore is a unique salt karst system. Development began in the 1960s, when the water resources that used to feed the Dead Sea were diverted. The water level is falling at more than 1 m yr−1, causing a hydrostatic disequilibrium between the underground fresh water and the base level. Despite these conditions, tourism development projects have flourished. Here, we show that a 10 km long strip of coast that encompasses several resorts is exposed to subsidence, sinkholes and landslides.
Tim Busker, Ad de Roo, Emiliano Gelati, Christian Schwatke, Marko Adamovic, Berny Bisselink, Jean-Francois Pekel, and Andrew Cottam
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 669–690, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-669-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-669-2019, 2019
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This paper estimates lake and reservoir volume variations over all continents from 1984 to 2015 using remote sensing alone. This study improves on previous methodologies by using the Global Surface Water dataset developed by the Joint Research Centre, which allowed for volume calculations on a global scale, a high resolution (30 m) and back to 1984 using very detailed lake area dynamics. Using 18 in situ volume time series as validation, our volume estimates showed a high accuracy.
Andrew Ogilvie, Gilles Belaud, Sylvain Massuel, Mark Mulligan, Patrick Le Goulven, and Roger Calvez
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4349–4380, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4349-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4349-2018, 2018
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Accurate monitoring of surface water extent is essential for hydrological investigation of small lakes (1–10 ha), which supports millions of smallholder farmers. Landsat monitoring of long-term surface water dynamics is shown to be suited to lakes over 3 ha based on extensive hydrometric data from seven field sites over 15 years. MNDWI water classification optimized here for the specificities of small water bodies reduced mean surface area errors by 57 % compared to published global datasets.
Filippo Bandini, Daniel Olesen, Jakob Jakobsen, Cecile Marie Margaretha Kittel, Sheng Wang, Monica Garcia, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4165–4181, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, 2018
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Water depth observations are essential data to forecast flood hazard, predict sediment transport, or monitor in-stream habitats. We retrieved bathymetry with a sonar wired to a drone. This system can improve the speed and spatial scale at which water depth observations are retrieved. Observations can be retrieved also in unnavigable or inaccessible rivers. Water depth observations showed an accuracy of ca. 2.1 % of actual depth, without being affected by water turbidity or bed material.
Kiana Zolfaghari, Claude R. Duguay, and Homa Kheyrollah Pour
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 377–391, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-377-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-377-2017, 2017
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A remotely-sensed water clarity value (Kd) was applied to improve FLake model simulations of Lake Erie thermal structure using a time-invariant (constant) annual value as well as monthly values of Kd. The sensitivity of FLake model to Kd values was studied. It was shown that the model is very sensitive to variations in Kd when the value is less than 0.5 m-1.
Tomasz Niedzielski, Matylda Witek, and Waldemar Spallek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3193–3205, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3193-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3193-2016, 2016
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We study detectability of changes in water surface areas on orthophotomaps. We use unmanned aerial vehicles to acquire visible light photographs. We offer a new method for detecting changes in water surface areas and river stages. The approach is based on the application of the Student's t test, in asymptotic and bootstrapped versions. We test our approach on aerial photos taken during 3-year observational campaign. We detect transitions between all characteristic river stages using drone data.
E. Lalot, F. Curie, V. Wawrzyniak, F. Baratelli, S. Schomburgk, N. Flipo, H. Piegay, and F. Moatar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4479–4492, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4479-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4479-2015, 2015
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This work shows that satellite thermal infrared images (LANDSAT) can be used to locate and quantify groundwater discharge into a large river (Loire River, France - 100 to 300 m wide). Groundwater discharge rate is found to be highly variable with time and space and maximum during flow recession periods and in winter. The main identified groundwater discharge area into the Loire River corresponds to a known discharge area of the Beauce aquifer.
M. D. Wilson, M. Durand, H. C. Jung, and D. Alsdorf
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1943–1959, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1943-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1943-2015, 2015
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We use a virtual mission analysis on a ca. 260km reach of the central Amazon River to assess the hydraulic implications of potential measurement errors in swath-altimetry imagery from the forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission. We estimated water surface slope from imagery of water heights and then derived channel discharge. Errors in estimated discharge were lowest when using longer reach lengths and channel cross-sectional averaging to estimate water slopes.
Y. B. Sulistioadi, K.-H. Tseng, C. K. Shum, H. Hidayat, M. Sumaryono, A. Suhardiman, F. Setiawan, and S. Sunarso
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 341–359, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-341-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-341-2015, 2015
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This paper investigates the possibility of monitoring small water bodies through Envisat altimetry observation. A novel approach is introduced to identify qualified and non-qualified altimetry measurements by assessing the waveform shapes for each returned radar signal. This research indicates that small lakes (extent < 100 km2) and medium-sized rivers (e.g., 200--800 m in width) can be successfully monitored by satellite altimetry.
Z. F. Miller, T. M. Pavelsky, and G. H. Allen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 4883–4895, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4883-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4883-2014, 2014
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Many previous studies have used stream gauge data to estimate patterns of river width and depth based on variations in river discharge. However, these relationships may not capture all of the actual variability in width and depth. We have instead mapped the widths of all of the rivers wider than 100 m (and many narrower) in the Mississippi Basin and then used them to also improve estimates of depth as well. Our results show width and depth variations not captured by power-law relationships.
A. Kääb, M. Lamare, and M. Abrams
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4671–4683, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4671-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4671-2013, 2013
V. H. Phan, R. C. Lindenbergh, and M. Menenti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4061–4077, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4061-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4061-2013, 2013
N. M. Velpuri and G. B. Senay
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3561–3578, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3561-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3561-2012, 2012
C. I. Michailovsky, S. McEnnis, P. A. M. Berry, R. Smith, and P. Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 2181–2192, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, 2012
H. Hidayat, D. H. Hoekman, M. A. M. Vissers, and A. J. F. Hoitink
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1805–1816, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1805-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1805-2012, 2012
M. Potes, M. J. Costa, and R. Salgado
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1623–1633, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1623-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1623-2012, 2012
A. T. Assireu, E. Alcântara, E. M. L. M. Novo, F. Roland, F. S. Pacheco, J. L. Stech, and J. A. Lorenzzetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 3689–3700, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-3689-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-3689-2011, 2011
C. H. Grohmann, C. Riccomini, and M. A. C. Chamani
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1493–1504, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1493-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1493-2011, 2011
C. C. Abon, C. P. C. David, and N. E. B. Pellejera
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1283–1289, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011, 2011
S. Trevisani, M. Cavalli, and L. Marchi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 393–405, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-393-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-393-2010, 2010
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Executive editor
This paper is the first to present a mechanism for greening of the Sahara that relies on westerlies intensity as the primary mechanism. This mechanism, which is based on cutting edge analysis and observations, has the potential to move the 30 year-long debate on African Humid Period forward. This interdisciplinary study joins several fields, including climatology, paleoclimate, remote sensing, and hydrology.
This paper is the first to present a mechanism for greening of the Sahara that relies on...
Short summary
The Sahara was wetter in the past and may become wetter in the future. Lake remnants are evidence of the desert’s wetter past. If the Sahara gets wetter in the future, these lakes may serve as a water resource. However, it is unclear how these lakes get filled and how moisture is carried into the desert and converted into rain in the first place. Therefore, we examine processes currently leading to the filling of a dry lake in the Sahara, which can help assess future water availability.
The Sahara was wetter in the past and may become wetter in the future. Lake remnants are...
