An ecosystem services model was applied across Germany to estimate water supply and carbon sequestration. The results showed that total annual water discharge and carbon sequestration for Germany is 85 billion m³ and 106 Tg C, respectively. Furthermore, we found that croplands provide the largest amount of water, deciduous broadleaf forests sequester most of the carbon, and wetlands are very effective in absorbing carbon. During extreme events, we noticed a real impact on both services.

Climate change, rising [CO₂], and vegetation dynamics are reshaping global water cycle, but their impacts remain unclear. We improved the coupled carbon and water model to analyze China’s water yield (WY) changes (1982–2017). Our results showed that climate change was the dominant driver nationally, vegetation/ [CO₂] most affected in 400-1600 mm precipitation zones. Projections indicate [CO₂] may outweigh vegetation effects on WY by 2100. This work informs sustainable water management.

Soil moisture data is vital for climate studies and agriculture, but sensors often have gaps that disrupt data continuity. To address this, we developed ST-GapFill, a new framework that uses information from nearby stations and a special tool to fill in missing data. By selecting the best neighboring stations and capturing how soil moisture changes over time, ST-GapFill can accurately reconstruct soil moisture patterns.

The analysis of nutrient dynamics during precipitation events using normalised cumulative loads (NCL) is a classic and frequently used method of water quality analysis. Our approach combines the classical pollutograph with hydrograph separation using stable water isotopes. The pollutograph is set up for each of the separated runoff components (pre-event water and event water) and the export dynamics of the runoff components of an event are compared.

Plants typically transpire less with rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, leaving more water in the ground for human use, but many future water scarcity assessments ignore this effect. We use a land surface model to examine how plant responses to carbon dioxide and climate change affect future water scarcity. Our results suggest that including these plant responses increases overall water availability for most people, highlighting the importance of their inclusion in future water scarcity studies.

This article examines hydrological spells, ranging from successive floods to sub-seasonal alternations between high and low flows. To study these rare successions, we developed an original detection method using baseflow as a catchment recovery indicator. Applying this to 643 catchments in France, we characterize these spells, identifying distinct spatial variability. We found that rapid transitions from low to high flows are concentrated in the Rhone-Mediterranean and Rhine-Meuse basins.

To understand what drives the changing water levels of Central Asia's Lake Balkhash, we used advanced computer models to separate the impacts of climate and human activities over the past century. We found that the lake's recent stability is a fragile illusion. Severe water losses from human use are currently hidden by a temporary increase in rain and melting glaciers. As these favorable climate conditions fade, the lake faces a rapid decline without urgent water management changes.

Rain runs off in two main ways: saturation excess when soil is full, and infiltration excess when rain exceeds infiltration. They often occur simultaneously in a watershed, but most models treat them separately. We introduce a new theory that captures both processes within a single framework, tracking their shift over space and time. Tested over 181 U.S. watersheds, the theory well predicts streamflow in most watersheds and improves understanding of runoff under diverse climates.

Using 12 Forest floor (FF) lysimeters at three beech‑dominated sites, we recorded 1570 rain events and measured throughfall, drainage, and evaporation. Initial retention depended on pre‑event moisture, not litter thickness. Low‑intensity, long‑duration rains filled the FF more efficiently than brief, intense storms. Evaporation was low and consistent across sites, showing the FF protects the soil. Spatial data revealed frequent water redistribution, creating heterogeneous flow paths.

We develop a novel framework to assess process connectivity in runoff generation through intensity integration. Applying this framework to 6,603 catchments globally over 1950–2020, we quantify the spatial patterns of process connectivity, diagnose their influencing factors, and examine their long-term trends and event-scale responses to precipitation intensity. Our findings enhance the understanding of runoff generation processes under the changing environment.

How rainfall is distributed over the course of a storm can critically shape flooding, erosion, and water resource impacts. This study reviews nearly fifty metrics used to describe storm patterns and tests their performance when rainfall events are processed differently or are at different resolutions. Our results reveal which metrics are most robust, how they overlap or diverge, and introduce a unifying framework that clarifies storm structure for future research and applied use.

Large wildfires are reshaping California’s water-supply forests. Using 40 years of satellite and river data, we found that severe fires greatly reduce vegetation water use, sometimes increasing runoff during dry years. Recovery varies widely across basins and can take many years. The work shows that wildfire can disturb the entire water budget and highlights the need to include fire effects when planning for future water resources.

We explored the use of remote sensing for improving water use monitoring in agricultural areas by estimating evapotranspiration and validating it against smart field weighing lysimeter data. We found that Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was the most accurate approach for estimating actual evapotranspiration to help farmers understand crop water needs. Our results support smart tools in irrigation water management and monitoring with the aim to save the scarce water resources.

Subsurface stormflow (SSF) is a key runoff mechanism in upland environments. The analysis of SSF at two trenched hillslopes showed that SSF volume was controlled by total rainfall and initial wetness. Peakflow depended on rainfall amount, with initial wetness and rainfall intensity being important for small and large events, respectively. The rate at which SSF increased was linked to rainfall intensity and amount.