Soil is a key component of the earth’s biosphere, mainly because of its link between surface water and groundwater and the contact with the atmosphere. The hydraulic regime of soil governs the processes of storage and transmission of water and thus contributes greatly to the partitioning of rainfall into infiltration and overland flow. Many studies deal with the mathematical description of these basic hydrologic processes using models that differentiate for the complexity with which water flow in soil is described, partly depending on the spatial scale of interest. On the other hand, better and in-depth understanding of the soil systems architecture is of prime importance for gaining real progress not only in the academic world, but also in the realm of practical applications carried out by public agencies, practitioners, and stakeholders responsible for managing land and water resources.

Because of the complexity of the problem and the need for an integrated view around soil and its functions, this event is a joint Hydrological Science and Soil System Science Divisions session that invites talks formulating visionary thoughts on monitoring/modelling studies carried out at different space-time scales. Talks that present basic researches, new insights in process understanding, and process-based modelling approaches are solicited. Soil scientists and hydrologists are invited to join in this session to have a fruitful exchange of ideas among different disciplines.