The global network of rivers and streams spans over 80 million kilometers and is the key to human settlement, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems, and transporting sediment and carbon into the oceans. Evaporative losses from these important aquatic arteries affect not only water availability, but may influence chemical and biological processes of river ecosystems through changes in energy budget and water temperature. [Click here for more information]

Past climate extreme events (e.g. European Heatwave 2023) have shown to have severe consequences on built and natural environments, posing a threat to human wellbeing and economic resilience. Land-atmosphere interactions have been identified as key drivers for heat waves, relying significantly on groundwater interactions through its effect on soil moisture, evaporation and thus surface heat fluxes (1). [Click here for more information]

Climate–groundwater interactions form a complex, coupled system that affects land-atmosphere feedback processes and thus local climatic parameters. This climate–groundwater interaction might be uni-or bidirectional (two-way) depending on climate and soil characteristics. In areas with bidirectional coupling, groundwater is not only influenced by climatic factors (e.g. precipitation) but can also contribute to the climate by various feedback from groundwater-subsurface interactions, including impacts on evaporation, soil moisture, and vegetation. [Click here for more information]

The increase in land surface temperature (LST) in a warming world affects climatological, hydrological, and ecological processes ranging from ecosystem and biome vulnerability to occurrence and extent of extreme climate events such as heatwaves and wildfires. Unprecedently high LSTs exceeding 80 oC have been recorded in some regions of the world in recent years limiting habitability of these regions in certain conditions. We aim to develop physically-based analytical models capable of predicting the location and magnitude of extreme temperatures on a global scale under different climate scenarios. [Click here for more information]   

Endorheic lakes are at the core of terrestrial hydrological processes and ecosystem functioning in closed drainage basins. The storage capacity of these vital water bodies has been influenced by the climate variability and human activities. We aim to investigate the role of these factors on the storage capacity of endorheic lakes in water-stressed regions worldwide. [Click here for more information]

A healthy soil supports life on Earth through maintaining ecosystems that provide food, feed and fibre whilst supporting Earth system functions such as waste recycling, climate, flood, and water regulation. The intensification of anthropogenic activities and climate challenges pose serious threats to soil health (Hassani et al., 2021), exacerbating the processes of soil degradation that are putting at risk soil management, biodiversity, and food security. [Click here for more information].

With ongoing climate change, the global mean sea level is projected to rise and accelerate. This exposes coastal areas to hazards ranging from enhanced flooding and erosion to salinization of soils, groundwater and surface waters. In estuaries such as the Elbe estuary, the effects of climate change driven sea level rise (SLR) can propagate several dozens of kilometres upstream. Due to its higher density in comparison to freshwater, saline water along coasts and estuaries flows landward under the less dense freshwater until reaching equilibrium. With increasing sea level, this saltwater interface can shift landwards reducing the thickness of the freshwater layer on top. One of the less understood effects of such phenomenon is the transport of saline through the unsaturated zone and to the surface adversely affecting soil health. [Click here for more information]

Recent estimates suggest that there are over 16.5 million small water reservoirs (less than 0.1 km²) worldwide. The number of water reservoirs larger than 0.1 km² has exceeded 76,000. These reservoirs are designed for local water storage with storage capacity exceeding 7,200 km³. They play pivotal roles, especially in water-stressed regions of the world, in meeting local water demands, maintaining food security, supporting business owners, and contributing to social stability, labor market, local climate, and ecosystem health. However, evaporative losses from these reservoirs are often overlooked in water budgeting influencing their storage efficiency and may exacerbate conflicts over shared water resources. [Click here for more information]