Articles | Volume 30, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-343-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-30-343-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Jan 2026
Research article |
| 23 Jan 2026
| 23 Jan 2026
Bedrock geology controls on new water fractions and catchment functioning in contrasted nested catchments
CATchment and ecohydrology research group, Environmental sensing and modelling unit, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg
Christoph J. Gey
Institute of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Bernd R. Schöne
Institute of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Marius G. Floriancic
Dept. of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Dept. of Environmental Systems Science, 5 ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
James W. Kirchner
Dept. of Environmental Systems Science, 5 ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
Loic Leonard
CATchment and ecohydrology research group, Environmental sensing and modelling unit, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
Laurent Gourdol
CATchment and ecohydrology research group, Environmental sensing and modelling unit, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
Richard F. Keim
CATchment and ecohydrology research group, Environmental sensing and modelling unit, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
CATchment and ecohydrology research group, Environmental sensing and modelling unit, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg
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Tobias Nicollier, Gilles Antoniazza, Lorenz Ammann, Dieter Rickenmann, and James W. Kirchner
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Sebastian A. Krogh, Lucia Scaff, James W. Kirchner, Beatrice Gordon, Gary Sterle, and Adrian Harpold
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Alessandro Montemagno, Christophe Hissler, Victor Bense, Adriaan J. Teuling, Johanna Ziebel, and Laurent Pfister
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Andrew L. A. Johnson, Annemarie M. Valentine, Bernd R. Schöne, Melanie J. Leng, and Stijn Goolaerts
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Nikos Theodoratos and James W. Kirchner
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Laurent Gourdol, Rémi Clément, Jérôme Juilleret, Laurent Pfister, and Christophe Hissler
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1785–1812, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1785-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1785-2021, 2021
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Jan Bondy, Jan Wienhöfer, Laurent Pfister, and Erwin Zehe
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-174, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-174, 2021
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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The Budyko curve is a widely-used and simple framework to predict the mean water balance of river catchments. While many catchments are in close accordance with the Budyko curve, others show more or less significant deviations. Our study aims at better understanding the role of soil storage characteristics in the mean water balance and offsets from the Budyko curve. Soil storage proved to be a very sensitive property and potentially explains significant deviations from the curve.
Nicolas Björn Rodriguez, Laurent Pfister, Erwin Zehe, and Julian Klaus
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 401–428, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-401-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-401-2021, 2021
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Different parts of water have often been used as tracers to determine the age of water in streams. The stable tracers, such as deuterium, are thought to be unable to reveal old water compared to the radioactive tracer called tritium. We used both tracers, measured in precipitation and in a stream in Luxembourg, to show that this is not necessarily true. It is, in fact, advantageous to use the two tracers together, and we recommend systematically using tritium in future studies.
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Short summary
How landscape features affect water storage and release in catchments remains poorly understood. Here we used water stable isotopes in 12 streams to assess the fraction of precipitation reaching streamflow in less than 2 weeks. More recent precipitation was found when streamflow was high and the fraction was linked to the geology (i.e. high when impermeable, low when permeable). Such information is key for better anticipating streamflow responses to a changing climate.
How landscape features affect water storage and release in catchments remains poorly understood....
