Scale-dependent transition in soil moisture memory and its environmental controls in complex mountain terrain

Zhang, Jun; He, Songtang; Li, Yong; Xue, Yuan

doi:10.5194/hess-30-3825-2026

Articles | Volume 30, issue 12

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3825-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3825-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 30, issue 12

Research article

|

24 Jun 2026

Research article |

| 24 Jun 2026

Scale-dependent transition in soil moisture memory and its environmental controls in complex mountain terrain

Jun Zhang, Songtang He, Yong Li, and Yuan Xue

Data sets

Daily Soil Moisture and Its Driving Factors (Static and Dynamic) in Three Watersheds: Dali River Basin, Anning River Basin, and Jiangjia Ravine (2003-2022) J. Zhang https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17510469

NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of CPC Morphing Technique (CMORPH) High Resolution Global Precipitation Estimates P. Xie et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/w9va-q159

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present Copernicus Climate Change Service, Climate Data Store https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

Model code and software

Code for: Scale-Dependent Soil Moisture Memory and Its Driving Mechanisms in Hazard-Prone Mountain Watersheds" J. Zhang https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17510622

Short summary

To better predict mountain hazards like landslides, we studied how long soil retains rain moisture. Using 20 years of satellite data from China, we found a control shift at about five years. Short-term memory is governed by weather and plants, while long-term persistence is locked in by soil and terrain. This creates a lasting "background" wetness, especially in humid forests, pre-conditioning slopes for years.