Flood-initiating catchment conditions: a spatio-temporal analysis of large-scale soil moisture patterns in the Elbe River basin Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-1401-2013 12 April 2013 While the large-scale meteorological conditions have been classified and successfully linked to floods, this is lacking for the large-scale pre-event catchment conditions. Therefore, we propose classifying soil moisture as a key variable of pre-event catchment conditions and investigating the link between soil moisture patterns and flood occurrence in the Elbe River basin. Read more
Local and global perspectives on the virtual water trade Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-1205-2013 19 March 2013 Recent studies on fluxes of virtual water are showing how the global food and goods trade interconnects the water resources of different and distant countries, conditioning the local water balances. This paper presents and discusses the assessment of virtual water fluxes between a single country and its network of trading partners, delineating a country’s virtual water budget in space and time (years 1986–2010). Read more
A generalized Damköhler number for classifying material processing in hydrological systems Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-1133-2013 15 March 2013 Assessing the potential for transfer of pollutants and nutrients across catchments is of primary importance under changing land use and climate. This paper focuses on the dynamic balance between transport and material transformation, and defines material connectivity as the effective transfer of material between elements of the hydrological cycle. Read more
A statistical analysis of insurance damage claims related to rainfall extremes Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-913-2013 4 March 2013 In this paper, a database of water-related insurance damage claims related to private properties and content was analysed. The aim was to investigate whether the probability of occurrence of rainfall-related damage was associated with the intensity of rainfall. Read more
The importance of glacier and forest change in hydrological climate-impact studies Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-619-2013 11 February 2013 Changes in land cover alter the water balance components of a catchment, due to strong interactions between soils, vegetation and the atmosphere. Therefore, hydrological climate impact studies should also integrate scenarios of associated land cover change. To reflect two severe climate-induced changes in land cover, we applied scenarios of glacier retreat and forest cover increase that were derived from the temperature signals of the climate scenarios used in this study. Read more
On the nature of rainfall intermittency as revealed by different metrics and sampling approaches Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-355-2013 29 January 2013 Results of this work may be useful to improve the calibration of stochastic algorithms used to downscale coarse rainfall predictions of climate and weather forecasting models, as well as the parameterization of intensity-duration-frequency curves, adopted for land planning and design of civil infrastructures. Read more
Similarity of climate control on base flow and perennial stream density in the Budyko framework Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-315-2013 25 January 2013 Perennial stream density (DP), which is obtained from the high resolution National Hydrography Dataset, for 185 watersheds declines monotonically with climate aridity index, and an inversely proportional function is proposed to model the relationship between DPand the ratio of potential evaporation to precipitation. Read more
Prediction, time variance, and classification of hydraulic response to recharge in two karst aquifers Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-281-2013 24 January 2013 Many karst aquifers are rapidly filled and depleted and therefore are likely to be susceptible to changes in short-term climate variability. Here we explore methods that could be applied to model site-specific hydraulic responses, with the intent of simulating these responses to different climate scenarios from high-resolution climate models. Read more
Thermodynamics, maximum power, and the dynamics of preferential river flow structures at the continental scale Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-17-225-2013 22 January 2013 Here we describe the organization and dynamics of drainage systems using thermodynamics, focusing on the generation, dissipation and transfer of free energy associated with river flow and sediment transport. Read more
It takes a community to raise a hydrologist: the Modular Curriculum for Hydrologic Advancement (MOCHA) Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-3405-2012 21 September 2012 In this paper we combine literature review, community survey, discussion and assessment to provide a holistic baseline for the future of hydrology education. The ultimate objective of our educational initiative is to enable educators to train a new generation of “renaissance hydrologists,” who can master the holistic nature of our field and of the problems we encounter. Read more
Should we apply bias correction to global and regional climate model data? Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-3391-2012 21 September 2012 With this article, we advocate communicating the entire uncertainty range associated with climate change predictions openly and hope to stimulate a lively discussion on bias correction among the atmospheric and hydrological community and end users of climate change impact studies. Read more
Incorporating student-centered approaches into catchment hydrology teaching: a review and synthesis Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-3263-2012 13 September 2012 As hydrologists confront the future of water resources on a globalized, resource-scarce and human-impacted planet, the educational preparation of future generations of water scientists becomes increasingly important. Read more
Water resources trends in Middle East and North Africa towards 2050 Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-3101-2012 3 September 2012 Changes in water resources availability can be expected as consequences of climate change, population growth, economic development and environmental considerations. A two-stage modeling approach is used to explore the impact of these changes in the Middle East and North Africa region. Read more
Value of medium range weather forecasts in the improvement of seasonal hydrologic prediction skill Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-2825-2012 17 August 2012 We investigated the contribution of medium range weather forecasts with lead times of up to 14 days to seasonal hydrologic prediction skill over the conterminous United States (CONUS). Read more
Climatic and geologic controls on suspended sediment flux in the Sutlej River Valley, western Himalaya Hydrology and Earth System Sciences DOI 10.5194/hess-16-2193-2012 20 July 2012 Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal trends in suspended sediment flux based on daily data during the past decade (2001–2009) from four sites along the Sutlej River and from four of its main tributaries. Read more