Water and matter cycles
Rivers, lakes and wetlands connect the land to the sea, they are directly linked to groundwater, and regulate the global nutrient and carbon balance. Their sediments are also highly active zones that can extract nutrients and contaminants from the surface water. We explore these complex physical, hydrological, biological and chemical processes and interactions. We then use the knowledge gained to develop concepts for sustainable water management and for enhancing water quality. For example, we focus on the wetland rehydration of bogs, interactions between groundwater and surface water, the significance of riparian zones, and matter conversion in sediments.
Related News
Selected publications
Developing a conceptual model of groundwater – Surface water interactions in a drought sensitive lowland catchment using multi-proxy data
Increasing droughts require a better understanding of connectivity and groundwater-surface water interactions. The authors used a multi-proxy approach of isotope tracers, groundwater data and geophysics to develop a conceptual model of landscape connectivity and groundwater recharge and assessed the effects of land use and catchment properties of groundwater systems sensitive to climate change.
Improving process-consistency of an ecohydrological model through inclusion of spatial patterns of satellite-derived land surface temperature
Since the simulation of evaporation and vegetation response to moisture deficits is subject to uncertainties, the authors assessed the benefits of integrating satellite-based land surface temperature data into ecohydrological modelling. They show that even few satellite images can reduce uncertainties of vegetation parameters and improve simulated spatial patterns of land surface temperature.
Integrating Tracers and Soft Data Into Multi-Criteria Calibration: Implications From Distributed Modeling in a Riparian Wetland
This study aimed to unravel the heterogenous spatio-temporal patterns of hydrological processes in a riparian wetland over 2 years. The work provided insights into ecohydrological wetland functioning, but also revealed potential equifinality in process-based models even with abundant data for calibration, and solutions based on the integration of water isotopes and soft data into modelling.
Mapping and monitoring peatland conditions from global to field scale
This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on mapping and monitoring peatlands from field sites to the globe and identifies areas where further research is needed. Simple peat characteristics such as degree of humification, dry bulk density or stoichiometry can be used as a proxy to estimate the carbon and nutrient fluxes in different degraded peatlands.
Combined Surface-Subsurface Stream Restoration Structures Can Optimize Hyporheic Attenuation of Stream Water Contaminants
A numerical model was used to evaluate engineered stream restoration structures and how to maximise their impact on hyporheic contaminant attenuation. Combined surface-subsurface structures were able to simultaneously increase hyporheic fluxes and transit times, providing conditions for contaminant attenuation that were many times more effective than surface or subsurface structures alone.