Articles | Volume 29, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1659-2025
© 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-29-1659-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Mar 2025
Research article |
| 26 Mar 2025
| 26 Mar 2025
High-resolution land surface modelling over Africa: the role of uncertain soil properties in combination with forcing temporal resolution
Bamidele Oloruntoba
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Agrosphere (IBG-3), 52425 Jülich, Germany
Centre for High-Performance Scientific Computing in Terrestrial Systems, Geoverbund ABC/J, 52425 Jülich, Germany
Stefan Kollet
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Agrosphere (IBG-3), 52425 Jülich, Germany
Centre for High-Performance Scientific Computing in Terrestrial Systems, Geoverbund ABC/J, 52425 Jülich, Germany
Carsten Montzka
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Agrosphere (IBG-3), 52425 Jülich, Germany
Harry Vereecken
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Agrosphere (IBG-3), 52425 Jülich, Germany
Centre for High-Performance Scientific Computing in Terrestrial Systems, Geoverbund ABC/J, 52425 Jülich, Germany
Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences: Agrosphere (IBG-3), 52425 Jülich, Germany
Centre for High-Performance Scientific Computing in Terrestrial Systems, Geoverbund ABC/J, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4188, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4188, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Spreading crushed rock on farmland soil could help slow climate change by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it in carbonate ions. We found that this method not only captured carbon in soils but also stimulated natural biological processes that store even more carbon. These results suggest that enhanced weathering can act as a double benefit: removing carbon dioxide from the air while improving the health and resilience of agricultural soils.
Shiao Feng, Wenhong Wang, Yonggen Zhang, Zhongwang Wei, Jianzhi Dong, Lutz Weihermüller, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-410, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-410, 2025
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Soil moisture is key for weather, farming, and ecosystems, but global datasets have gaps and biases. We compared three products against 1,615 stations with more than 1.9 million measured moisture, finding ERA5-Land highly correlated but biased high, and SMAP-L4 accurate but short-term. Fusing them created an enhanced dataset, improving correlation by 5%, reducing errors by 20%, and enhancing overall fit by 15%. This seamless resource aids drought tracking, water planning, and climate adaptation.
Jordan Bates, Carsten Montzka, Harry Vereecken, and François Jonard
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3919, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3919, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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We used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with advanced cameras and laser scanning to measure crop water use and detect early signs of plant stress. By combining 3D views of crop structure with surface temperature and reflectance data, we improved estimates of water loss, especially in dense crops like wheat. This approach can help farmers use water more efficiently, respond quickly to stress, and support sustainable agriculture in a changing climate.
Anke Fluhrer, Martin J. Baur, María Piles, Bagher Bayat, Mehdi Rahmati, David Chaparro, Clémence Dubois, Florian M. Hellwig, Carsten Montzka, Angelika Kübert, Marlin M. Mueller, Isabel Augscheller, Francois Jonard, Konstantin Schellenberg, and Thomas Jagdhuber
Biogeosciences, 22, 3721–3746, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3721-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3721-2025, 2025
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This study compares established evapotranspiration products in central Europe and evaluates their multi-seasonal performance during wet and drought phases in 2017–2020 together with important soil–plant–atmosphere drivers. Results show that SEVIRI, ERA5-land, and GLEAM perform best compared to ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) measurements. During moisture-limited drought years, ET (evapotranspiration) decreases due to decreasing soil moisture and increasing vapor pressure deficit, while in other years ET is mainly controlled by VPD (vapor pressure deficit).
Fang Li, Heye Reemt Bogena, Johannes Keller, Bagher Bayat, Rahul Raj, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks-Franssen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2124, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2124, 2025
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We developed a new method to improve hydrological modeling by jointly using soil moisture and groundwater level data from field sensors in a catchment in Germany. By updating the model separately for shallow and deep soil zones, we achieved more accurate predictions of soil water, groundwater depth, and evapotranspiration. Our results show that combining both data types gives more balanced and reliable outcomes than using either alone.
Heye Reemt Bogena, Frank Herrmann, Andreas Lücke, Thomas Pütz, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-185, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-185, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
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The Wüstebach catchment in Germany’s TERENO network underwent partial deforestation in 2013 to support natural regrowth in Eifel National Park. This data paper presents 16 years (2010–2024) of estimated hourly stream-water flux data for nine macro- and micronutrients, dissolved ionic aluminum, and dissolved organic carbon, along with measured solute concentrations and discharge rates from two stations—one affected by clear-cutting and one unaffected.
Robert Reinecke, Annemarie Bäthge, Ricarda Dietrich, Sebastian Gnann, Simon N. Gosling, Danielle Grogan, Andreas Hartmann, Stefan Kollet, Rohini Kumar, Richard Lammers, Sida Liu, Yan Liu, Nils Moosdorf, Bibi Naz, Sara Nazari, Chibuike Orazulike, Yadu Pokhrel, Jacob Schewe, Mikhail Smilovic, Maryna Strokal, Yoshihide Wada, Shan Zuidema, and Inge de Graaf
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1181, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1181, 2025
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Here we describe a collaborative effort to improve predictions of how climate change will affect groundwater. The ISIMIP groundwater sector combines multiple global groundwater models to capture a range of possible outcomes and reduce uncertainty. Initial comparisons reveal significant differences between models in key metrics like water table depth and recharge rates, highlighting the need for structured model intercomparisons.
Manuela S. Kaufmann, Anja Klotzsche, Jan van der Kruk, Anke Langen, Harry Vereecken, and Lutz Weihermüller
SOIL, 11, 267–285, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-267-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-267-2025, 2025
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To use fertilizers more effectively, non-invasive geophysical methods can be used to understand nutrient distributions in the soil. We utilize, in a long-term field study, geophysical techniques to study soil properties and conditions under different fertilizer treatments. We compared the geophysical response with soil samples and soil sensor data. In particular, electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity tomography were effective in monitoring changes in nitrate levels over time.
Salar Saeed Dogar, Cosimo Brogi, Dave O'Leary, Ixchel Hernández-Ochoa, Marco Donat, Harry Vereecken, and Johan Alexander Huisman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-827, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-827, 2025
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Farmers need precise information about their fields to use water, fertilizers, and other resources efficiently. This study combines underground soil data and satellite images to create detailed field maps using advanced machine learning. By testing different ways of processing data, we ensured a balanced and accurate approach. The results help farmers manage their land more effectively, leading to better harvests and more sustainable farming practices.
Elena Xoplaki, Florian Ellsäßer, Jens Grieger, Katrin M. Nissen, Joaquim G. Pinto, Markus Augenstein, Ting-Chen Chen, Hendrik Feldmann, Petra Friederichs, Daniel Gliksman, Laura Goulier, Karsten Haustein, Jens Heinke, Lisa Jach, Florian Knutzen, Stefan Kollet, Jürg Luterbacher, Niklas Luther, Susanna Mohr, Christoph Mudersbach, Christoph Müller, Efi Rousi, Felix Simon, Laura Suarez-Gutierrez, Svenja Szemkus, Sara M. Vallejo-Bernal, Odysseas Vlachopoulos, and Frederik Wolf
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 541–564, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-541-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-541-2025, 2025
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Europe frequently experiences compound events, with major impacts. We investigate these events’ interactions, characteristics, and changes over time, focusing on socio-economic impacts in Germany and central Europe. Highlighting 2018’s extreme events, this study reveals impacts on water, agriculture, and forests and stresses the need for impact-focused definitions and better future risk quantification to support adaptation planning.
Paolo Nasta, Günter Blöschl, Heye R. Bogena, Steffen Zacharias, Roland Baatz, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Karsten H. Jensen, Salvatore Manfreda, Laurent Pfister, Ana M. Tarquis, Ilja van Meerveld, Marc Voltz, Yijian Zeng, William Kustas, Xin Li, Harry Vereecken, and Nunzio Romano
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 465–483, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, 2025
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The Unsolved Problems in Hydrology (UPH) initiative has emphasized the need to establish networks of multi-decadal hydrological observatories to tackle catchment-scale challenges on a global scale. This opinion paper provocatively discusses two endmembers of possible future hydrological observatory (HO) networks for a given hypothesized community budget: a comprehensive set of moderately instrumented observatories or, alternatively, a small number of highly instrumented supersites.
Christian Poppe Terán, Bibi S. Naz, Harry Vereecken, Roland Baatz, Rosie A. Fisher, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 287–317, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-287-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-287-2025, 2025
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Carbon and water exchanges between the atmosphere and the land surface contribute to water resource availability and climate change mitigation. Land surface models, like the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5), simulate these. This study finds that CLM5 and other data sets underestimate the magnitudes of and variability in carbon and water exchanges for the most abundant plant functional types compared to observations. It provides essential insights for further research into these processes.
Florian Knutzen, Paul Averbeck, Caterina Barrasso, Laurens M. Bouwer, Barry Gardiner, José M. Grünzweig, Sabine Hänel, Karsten Haustein, Marius Rohde Johannessen, Stefan Kollet, Mortimer M. Müller, Joni-Pekka Pietikäinen, Karolina Pietras-Couffignal, Joaquim G. Pinto, Diana Rechid, Efi Rousi, Ana Russo, Laura Suarez-Gutierrez, Sarah Veit, Julian Wendler, Elena Xoplaki, and Daniel Gliksman
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 77–117, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-77-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-77-2025, 2025
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Our research, involving 22 European scientists, investigated drought and heat impacts on forests in 2018–2022. Findings reveal that climate extremes are intensifying, with central Europe being most severely impacted. The southern region showed resilience due to historical drought exposure, while northern and Alpine areas experienced emerging or minimal impacts. The study highlights the need for region-specific strategies, improved data collection, and sustainable practices to safeguard forests.
Teng Xu, Sinan Xiao, Sebastian Reuschen, Nils Wildt, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, and Wolfgang Nowak
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5375–5400, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5375-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5375-2024, 2024
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We provide a set of benchmarking scenarios for geostatistical inversion, and we encourage the scientific community to use these to compare their newly developed methods. To facilitate transparent, appropriate, and uncertainty-aware comparison of novel methods, we provide some accurate reference solutions, a high-end reference algorithm, and a diverse set of benchmarking metrics, all of which are publicly available. With this, we seek to foster more targeted and transparent progress in the field.
Ying Zhao, Mehdi Rahmati, Harry Vereecken, and Dani Or
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 4059–4063, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4059-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4059-2024, 2024
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Gao et al. (2023) question the importance of soil in hydrology, sparking debate. We acknowledge some valid points but critique their broad, unsubstantiated views on soil's role. Our response highlights three key areas: (1) the false divide between ecosystem-centric and soil-centric approaches, (2) the vital yet varied impact of soil properties, and (3) the call for a scale-aware framework. We aim to unify these perspectives, enhancing hydrology's comprehensive understanding.
Tobias Karl David Weber, Lutz Weihermüller, Attila Nemes, Michel Bechtold, Aurore Degré, Efstathios Diamantopoulos, Simone Fatichi, Vilim Filipović, Surya Gupta, Tobias L. Hohenbrink, Daniel R. Hirmas, Conrad Jackisch, Quirijn de Jong van Lier, John Koestel, Peter Lehmann, Toby R. Marthews, Budiman Minasny, Holger Pagel, Martine van der Ploeg, Shahab Aldin Shojaeezadeh, Simon Fiil Svane, Brigitta Szabó, Harry Vereecken, Anne Verhoef, Michael Young, Yijian Zeng, Yonggen Zhang, and Sara Bonetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3391–3433, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, 2024
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Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are used to predict parameters of models describing the hydraulic properties of soils. The appropriateness of these predictions critically relies on the nature of the datasets for training the PTFs and the physical comprehensiveness of the models. This roadmap paper is addressed to PTF developers and users and critically reflects the utility and future of PTFs. To this end, we present a manifesto aiming at a paradigm shift in PTF research.
Joschka Neumann, Nicolas Brüggemann, Patrick Chaumet, Normen Hermes, Jan Huwer, Peter Kirchner, Werner Lesmeister, Wilhelm August Mertens, Thomas Pütz, Jörg Wolters, Harry Vereecken, and Ghaleb Natour
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1598, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1598, 2024
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Climate change in combination with a steadily growing world population and a simultaneous decrease in agricultural land is one of the greatest global challenges facing mankind. In this context, Forschungszentrum Jülich established an "agricultural simulator" (AgraSim), which enables research into the effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems and the optimization of agricultural cultivation and management strategies with the aid of combined experimental and numerical simulation.
Bjorn Stevens, Stefan Adami, Tariq Ali, Hartwig Anzt, Zafer Aslan, Sabine Attinger, Jaana Bäck, Johanna Baehr, Peter Bauer, Natacha Bernier, Bob Bishop, Hendryk Bockelmann, Sandrine Bony, Guy Brasseur, David N. Bresch, Sean Breyer, Gilbert Brunet, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Junji Cao, Christelle Castet, Yafang Cheng, Ayantika Dey Choudhury, Deborah Coen, Susanne Crewell, Atish Dabholkar, Qing Dai, Francisco Doblas-Reyes, Dale Durran, Ayoub El Gaidi, Charlie Ewen, Eleftheria Exarchou, Veronika Eyring, Florencia Falkinhoff, David Farrell, Piers M. Forster, Ariane Frassoni, Claudia Frauen, Oliver Fuhrer, Shahzad Gani, Edwin Gerber, Debra Goldfarb, Jens Grieger, Nicolas Gruber, Wilco Hazeleger, Rolf Herken, Chris Hewitt, Torsten Hoefler, Huang-Hsiung Hsu, Daniela Jacob, Alexandra Jahn, Christian Jakob, Thomas Jung, Christopher Kadow, In-Sik Kang, Sarah Kang, Karthik Kashinath, Katharina Kleinen-von Königslöw, Daniel Klocke, Uta Kloenne, Milan Klöwer, Chihiro Kodama, Stefan Kollet, Tobias Kölling, Jenni Kontkanen, Steve Kopp, Michal Koran, Markku Kulmala, Hanna Lappalainen, Fakhria Latifi, Bryan Lawrence, June Yi Lee, Quentin Lejeun, Christian Lessig, Chao Li, Thomas Lippert, Jürg Luterbacher, Pekka Manninen, Jochem Marotzke, Satoshi Matsouoka, Charlotte Merchant, Peter Messmer, Gero Michel, Kristel Michielsen, Tomoki Miyakawa, Jens Müller, Ramsha Munir, Sandeep Narayanasetti, Ousmane Ndiaye, Carlos Nobre, Achim Oberg, Riko Oki, Tuba Özkan-Haller, Tim Palmer, Stan Posey, Andreas Prein, Odessa Primus, Mike Pritchard, Julie Pullen, Dian Putrasahan, Johannes Quaas, Krishnan Raghavan, Venkatachalam Ramaswamy, Markus Rapp, Florian Rauser, Markus Reichstein, Aromar Revi, Sonakshi Saluja, Masaki Satoh, Vera Schemann, Sebastian Schemm, Christina Schnadt Poberaj, Thomas Schulthess, Cath Senior, Jagadish Shukla, Manmeet Singh, Julia Slingo, Adam Sobel, Silvina Solman, Jenna Spitzer, Philip Stier, Thomas Stocker, Sarah Strock, Hang Su, Petteri Taalas, John Taylor, Susann Tegtmeier, Georg Teutsch, Adrian Tompkins, Uwe Ulbrich, Pier-Luigi Vidale, Chien-Ming Wu, Hao Xu, Najibullah Zaki, Laure Zanna, Tianjun Zhou, and Florian Ziemen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2113–2122, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2113-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2113-2024, 2024
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To manage Earth in the Anthropocene, new tools, new institutions, and new forms of international cooperation will be required. Earth Virtualization Engines is proposed as an international federation of centers of excellence to empower all people to respond to the immense and urgent challenges posed by climate change.
Liubov Poshyvailo-Strube, Niklas Wagner, Klaus Goergen, Carina Furusho-Percot, Carl Hartick, and Stefan Kollet
Earth Syst. Dynam., 15, 167–189, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-167-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-167-2024, 2024
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Groundwater (GW) representation is simplified in most regional climate models. Here, we introduce a unique Terrestrial Systems Modeling Platform (TSMP) dataset with an explicit representation of GW, in the context of dynamical downscaling of GCMs for climate change studies. We compare the heat events statistics of TSMP and the CORDEX ensemble. Our results show that TSMP systematically simulates fewer heat waves, and they are shorter and less intense.
Lukas Strebel, Heye Bogena, Harry Vereecken, Mie Andreasen, Sergio Aranda-Barranco, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1001–1026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1001-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1001-2024, 2024
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We present results from using soil water content measurements from 13 European forest sites in a state-of-the-art land surface model. We use data assimilation to perform a combination of observed and modeled soil water content and show the improvements in the representation of soil water content. However, we also look at the impact on evapotranspiration and see no corresponding improvements.
Denise Degen, Daniel Caviedes Voullième, Susanne Buiter, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Harry Vereecken, Ana González-Nicolás, and Florian Wellmann
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 7375–7409, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-7375-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-7375-2023, 2023
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In geosciences, we often use simulations based on physical laws. These simulations can be computationally expensive, which is a problem if simulations must be performed many times (e.g., to add error bounds). We show how a novel machine learning method helps to reduce simulation time. In comparison to other approaches, which typically only look at the output of a simulation, the method considers physical laws in the simulation itself. The method provides reliable results faster than standard.
Theresa Boas, Heye Reemt Bogena, Dongryeol Ryu, Harry Vereecken, Andrew Western, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3143–3167, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3143-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3143-2023, 2023
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In our study, we tested the utility and skill of a state-of-the-art forecasting product for the prediction of regional crop productivity using a land surface model. Our results illustrate the potential value and skill of combining seasonal forecasts with modelling applications to generate variables of interest for stakeholders, such as annual crop yield for specific cash crops and regions. In addition, this study provides useful insights for future technical model evaluations and improvements.
Zbigniew P. Piotrowski, Jaro Hokkanen, Daniel Caviedes-Voullieme, Olaf Stein, and Stefan Kollet
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1079, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1079, 2023
Preprint withdrawn
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The computer programs capable of simulation of Earth system components evolve, adapting new fundamental science concepts and more observational data on more and more powerful computer hardware. Adaptation of a large scientific program to a new type of hardware is costly. In this work we propose cheap and simple but effective strategy that enable computation using graphic processing units, based on automated program code modification. This results in better resolution and/or longer predictions.
Tobias Tesch, Stefan Kollet, and Jochen Garcke
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 2149–2166, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2149-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2149-2023, 2023
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A recent statistical approach for studying relations in the Earth system is to train deep learning (DL) models to predict Earth system variables given one or several others and use interpretable DL to analyze the relations learned by the models. Here, we propose to combine the approach with a theorem from causality research to ensure that the deep learning model learns causal rather than spurious relations. As an example, we apply the method to study soil-moisture–precipitation coupling.
Bibi S. Naz, Wendy Sharples, Yueling Ma, Klaus Goergen, and Stefan Kollet
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 1617–1639, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-1617-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-1617-2023, 2023
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It is challenging to apply a high-resolution integrated land surface and groundwater model over large spatial scales. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of such a model over a pan-European domain at 3 km resolution and perform an extensive evaluation of simulated water states and fluxes by comparing with in situ and satellite data. This study can serve as a benchmark and baseline for future studies of climate change impact projections and for hydrological forecasting.
Mohamed Saadi, Carina Furusho-Percot, Alexandre Belleflamme, Ju-Yu Chen, Silke Trömel, and Stefan Kollet
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 159–177, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-159-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-159-2023, 2023
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On 14 July 2021, heavy rainfall fell over central Europe, causing considerable damage and human fatalities. We analyzed how accurate our estimates of rainfall and peak flow were for these flooding events in western Germany. We found that the rainfall estimates from radar measurements were improved by including polarimetric variables and their vertical gradients. Peak flow estimates were highly uncertain due to uncertainties in hydrological model parameters and rainfall measurements.
Cosimo Brogi, Heye Reemt Bogena, Markus Köhli, Johan Alexander Huisman, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, and Olga Dombrowski
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 11, 451–469, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-451-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-451-2022, 2022
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Accurate monitoring of water in soil can improve irrigation efficiency, which is important considering climate change and the growing world population. Cosmic-ray neutrons sensors (CRNSs) are a promising tool in irrigation monitoring due to a larger sensed area and to lower maintenance than other ground-based sensors. Here, we analyse the feasibility of irrigation monitoring with CRNSs and the impact of the irrigated field dimensions, of the variations of water in soil, and of instrument design.
Olga Dombrowski, Cosimo Brogi, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Damiano Zanotelli, and Heye Bogena
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 5167–5193, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5167-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-5167-2022, 2022
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Soil carbon storage and food production of fruit orchards will be influenced by climate change. However, they lack representation in models that study such processes. We developed and tested a new sub-model, CLM5-FruitTree, that describes growth, biomass distribution, and management practices in orchards. The model satisfactorily predicted yield and exchange of carbon, energy, and water in an apple orchard and can be used to study land surface processes in fruit orchards at different scales.
Jordan Bates, Francois Jonard, Rajina Bajracharya, Harry Vereecken, and Carsten Montzka
AGILE GIScience Ser., 3, 23, https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-3-23-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-3-23-2022, 2022
Wei Qu, Heye Bogena, Christoph Schüth, Harry Vereecken, Zongmei Li, and Stephan Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-131, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-131, 2022
Publication in GMD not foreseen
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We applied the global sensitivity analysis LH-OAT to the integrated hydrology model ParFlow-CLM to investigate the sensitivity of the 12 parameters for different scenarios. And we found that the general patterns of the parameter sensitivities were consistent, however, for some parameters a significantly larger span of the sensitivities was observed, especially for the higher slope and in subarctic climatic scenarios.
Nicholas Jarvis, Jannis Groh, Elisabet Lewan, Katharina H. E. Meurer, Walter Durka, Cornelia Baessler, Thomas Pütz, Elvin Rufullayev, and Harry Vereecken
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 2277–2299, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2277-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2277-2022, 2022
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We apply an eco-hydrological model to data on soil water balance and grassland growth obtained at two sites with contrasting climates. Our results show that the grassland in the drier climate had adapted by developing deeper roots, which maintained water supply to the plants in the face of severe drought. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering such plastic responses of plant traits to environmental stress in the modelling of soil water balance and plant growth under climate change.
Heye Reemt Bogena, Martin Schrön, Jannis Jakobi, Patrizia Ney, Steffen Zacharias, Mie Andreasen, Roland Baatz, David Boorman, Mustafa Berk Duygu, Miguel Angel Eguibar-Galán, Benjamin Fersch, Till Franke, Josie Geris, María González Sanchis, Yann Kerr, Tobias Korf, Zalalem Mengistu, Arnaud Mialon, Paolo Nasta, Jerzy Nitychoruk, Vassilios Pisinaras, Daniel Rasche, Rafael Rosolem, Hami Said, Paul Schattan, Marek Zreda, Stefan Achleitner, Eduardo Albentosa-Hernández, Zuhal Akyürek, Theresa Blume, Antonio del Campo, Davide Canone, Katya Dimitrova-Petrova, John G. Evans, Stefano Ferraris, Félix Frances, Davide Gisolo, Andreas Güntner, Frank Herrmann, Joost Iwema, Karsten H. Jensen, Harald Kunstmann, Antonio Lidón, Majken Caroline Looms, Sascha Oswald, Andreas Panagopoulos, Amol Patil, Daniel Power, Corinna Rebmann, Nunzio Romano, Lena Scheiffele, Sonia Seneviratne, Georg Weltin, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1125–1151, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1125-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1125-2022, 2022
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Monitoring of increasingly frequent droughts is a prerequisite for climate adaptation strategies. This data paper presents long-term soil moisture measurements recorded by 66 cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNS) operated by 24 institutions and distributed across major climate zones in Europe. Data processing followed harmonized protocols and state-of-the-art methods to generate consistent and comparable soil moisture products and to facilitate continental-scale analysis of hydrological extremes.
Lukas Strebel, Heye R. Bogena, Harry Vereecken, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 395–411, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-395-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-395-2022, 2022
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We present the technical coupling between a land surface model (CLM5) and the Parallel Data Assimilation Framework (PDAF). This coupling enables measurement data to update simulated model states and parameters in a statistically optimal way. We demonstrate the viability of the model framework using an application in a forested catchment where the inclusion of soil water measurements significantly improved the simulation quality.
Veronika Forstner, Jannis Groh, Matevz Vremec, Markus Herndl, Harry Vereecken, Horst H. Gerke, Steffen Birk, and Thomas Pütz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6087–6106, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6087-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6087-2021, 2021
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Lysimeter-based manipulative and observational experiments were used to identify responses of water fluxes and aboveground biomass (AGB) to climatic change in permanent grassland. Under energy-limited conditions, elevated temperature actual evapotranspiration (ETa) increased, while seepage, dew, and AGB decreased. Elevated CO2 mitigated the effect on ETa. Under water limitation, elevated temperature resulted in reduced ETa, and AGB was negatively correlated with an increasing aridity.
Yafei Huang, Jonas Weis, Harry Vereecken, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-569, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-569, 2021
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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Trends in agricultural droughts cannot be easily deduced from measurements. Here trends in agricultural droughts over 31 German and Dutch sites were calculated with model simulations and long-term observed meteorological data as input. We found that agricultural droughts are increasing although precipitation hardly decreases. The increase is driven by increase in evapotranspiration. The year 2018 was for half of the sites the year with the most extreme agricultural drought in the last 55 years.
Mengna Li, Yijian Zeng, Maciek W. Lubczynski, Jean Roy, Lianyu Yu, Hui Qian, Zhenyu Li, Jie Chen, Lei Han, Han Zheng, Tom Veldkamp, Jeroen M. Schoorl, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Kai Hou, Qiying Zhang, Panpan Xu, Fan Li, Kai Lu, Yulin Li, and Zhongbo Su
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4727–4757, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4727-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4727-2021, 2021
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The Tibetan Plateau is the source of most of Asia's major rivers and has been called the Asian Water Tower. Due to its remoteness and the harsh environment, there is a lack of field survey data to investigate its hydrogeology. Borehole core lithology analysis, an altitude survey, soil thickness measurement, hydrogeological surveys, and hydrogeophysical surveys were conducted in the Maqu catchment within the Yellow River source region to improve a full–picture understanding of the water cycle.
Bernd Schalge, Gabriele Baroni, Barbara Haese, Daniel Erdal, Gernot Geppert, Pablo Saavedra, Vincent Haefliger, Harry Vereecken, Sabine Attinger, Harald Kunstmann, Olaf A. Cirpka, Felix Ament, Stefan Kollet, Insa Neuweiler, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, and Clemens Simmer
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4437–4464, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4437-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4437-2021, 2021
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In this study, a 9-year simulation of complete model output of a coupled atmosphere–land-surface–subsurface model on the catchment scale is discussed. We used the Neckar catchment in SW Germany as the basis of this simulation. Since the dataset includes the full model output, it is not only possible to investigate model behavior and interactions between the component models but also use it as a virtual truth for comparison of, for example, data assimilation experiments.
Jan Vanderborght, Valentin Couvreur, Felicien Meunier, Andrea Schnepf, Harry Vereecken, Martin Bouda, and Mathieu Javaux
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 4835–4860, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4835-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4835-2021, 2021
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Root water uptake is an important process in the terrestrial water cycle. How this process depends on soil water content, root distributions, and root properties is a soil–root hydraulic problem. We compare different approaches to implementing root hydraulics in macroscopic soil water flow and land surface models.
Yueling Ma, Carsten Montzka, Bagher Bayat, and Stefan Kollet
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3555–3575, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3555-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3555-2021, 2021
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This study utilized spatiotemporally continuous precipitation anomaly (pra) and water table depth anomaly (wtda) data from integrated hydrologic simulation results over Europe in combination with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to capture the time-varying and time-lagged relationship between pra and wtda in order to obtain reliable models to estimate wtda at the individual pixel level.
Youri Rothfuss, Maria Quade, Nicolas Brüggemann, Alexander Graf, Harry Vereecken, and Maren Dubbert
Biogeosciences, 18, 3701–3732, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3701-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3701-2021, 2021
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The partitioning of evapotranspiration into evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants is crucial for a wide range of parties, from farmers to policymakers. In this work, we focus on a particular partitioning method, based on the stable isotopic analysis of water. In particular, we aim at highlighting the challenges that this method is currently facing and, in light of recent methodological developments, propose ways forward for the isotopic-partitioning community.
Cosimo Brogi, Johan A. Huisman, Lutz Weihermüller, Michael Herbst, and Harry Vereecken
SOIL, 7, 125–143, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-125-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-125-2021, 2021
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There is a need in agriculture for detailed soil maps that carry quantitative information. Geophysics-based soil maps have the potential to deliver such products, but their added value has not been fully investigated yet. In this study, we compare the use of a geophysics-based soil map with the use of two commonly available maps as input for crop growth simulations. The geophysics-based product results in better simulations, with improvements that depend on precipitation, soil, and crop type.
Theresa Boas, Heye Bogena, Thomas Grünwald, Bernard Heinesch, Dongryeol Ryu, Marius Schmidt, Harry Vereecken, Andrew Western, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 573–601, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-573-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-573-2021, 2021
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In this study we were able to significantly improve CLM5 model performance for European cropland sites by adding a winter wheat representation, specific plant parameterizations for important cash crops, and a cover-cropping and crop rotation subroutine to its crop module. Our modifications should be applied in future studies of CLM5 to improve regional yield predictions and to better understand large-scale impacts of agricultural management on carbon, water, and energy fluxes.
Jie Tian, Zhibo Han, Heye Reemt Bogena, Johan Alexander Huisman, Carsten Montzka, Baoqing Zhang, and Chansheng He
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4659–4674, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4659-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4659-2020, 2020
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Large-scale profile soil moisture (SM) is important for water resource management, but its estimation is a challenge. Thus, based on in situ SM observations in a cold mountain, a strong relationship between the surface SM and subsurface SM is found. Both the subsurface SM of 10–30 cm and the profile SM of 0–70 cm can be estimated from the surface SM of 0–10 cm accurately. By combing with the satellite product, we improve the large-scale profile SM estimation in the cold mountains finally.
Benjamin Fersch, Till Francke, Maik Heistermann, Martin Schrön, Veronika Döpper, Jannis Jakobi, Gabriele Baroni, Theresa Blume, Heye Bogena, Christian Budach, Tobias Gränzig, Michael Förster, Andreas Güntner, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Mandy Kasner, Markus Köhli, Birgit Kleinschmit, Harald Kunstmann, Amol Patil, Daniel Rasche, Lena Scheiffele, Ulrich Schmidt, Sandra Szulc-Seyfried, Jannis Weimar, Steffen Zacharias, Marek Zreda, Bernd Heber, Ralf Kiese, Vladimir Mares, Hannes Mollenhauer, Ingo Völksch, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2289–2309, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2289-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2289-2020, 2020
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Short summary
We studied how soil and weather data affect land model simulations over Africa. By combining soil data processed in different ways with weather data of varying time intervals, we found that weather inputs had a greater impact on water processes than soil data type. However, the way soil data were processed became crucial when paired with high-frequency weather inputs, showing that detailed weather data can improve local and regional predictions of how water moves and interacts with the land.
We studied how soil and weather data affect land model simulations over Africa. By combining...
