HS7.4 | Future hydroclimatic scenarios in a changing world
Tue, 08:30
EDI PICO
Future hydroclimatic scenarios in a changing world
Convener: Theano IliopoulouECSECS | Co-conveners: Serena Ceola, Christophe Cudennec, Harry Lins, Alberto Montanari
PICO
| Tue, 29 Apr, 08:30–10:15 (CEST)
 
PICO spot 4
Tue, 08:30

PICO: Tue, 29 Apr | PICO spot 4

PICO presentations are given in a hybrid format supported by a Zoom meeting featuring on-site and virtual presentations. The button to access the Zoom meeting appears just before the time block starts.
08:30–08:35
Hydroclimatic extremes: understanding and modelling
08:35–08:37
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PICO4.1
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EGU25-9253
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Sofia Vrettou, Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Panayiotis Dimitriadis, Theano Iliopoulou, and Alberto Montanari

In September 2023 storm Daniel struck the area of Thessaly, in the central part of Greece, causing extreme rainfall over four consecutive days. The aftereffects were devastating, as 17 people died, extensive damage -yet to be restored- was caused to infrastructure (including roads, bridges and the port basin of Volos) and the economic impact was also severe. This devastating disaster could have been limited if a reliable estimate of flood risk was available and efficient risk mitigation measures were adopted. To move a step forward towards such target, stochastic models serve as powerful tools for predicting floods and extreme rainfall incidents since they accurately simulate the inherent uncertainty that characterises natural processes like precipitation and river flows. In this work, we obtain historical precipitation data for the area of Thessaly and by applying the appropriate stochastic models and procedures we generate synthetic rainfall data. Then, by comparing the synthetic data to the historical, in stochastic terms, we test at what degree the stochastic models can effectively capture the variability of natural processes. The resulting synthetic data provide valuable insight in the likelihood of occurrence of extreme events, paving the way for incorporating stochastic tools in the development of flood early warning systems (FEWS). Furthermore, the application of stochastic models in extreme rainfall events will also guide the infrastructure design, in order to be resilient against extreme weather events, and will facilitate water resources management.

How to cite: Vrettou, S., Koutsoyiannis, D., Dimitriadis, P., Iliopoulou, T., and Montanari, A.: A stochastic approach on the extreme hydrological events: the case of Thessaly, Greece, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9253, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9253, 2025.

08:37–08:39
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EGU25-5194
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ECS
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Virtual presentation
Nikolaos Tepetidis, Ioannis Benekos, Theano Iliopoulou, Panayiotis Dimitriadis, and Demetris Koutsoyiannis

Machine learning techniques have been increasingly used in flood management worldwide to enhance the effectiveness of traditional methods for flood susceptibility mapping. Although these models have achieved higher accuracy than traditional ones, their application in Greece remains limited. We focus on applying machine learning models to create flood susceptibility maps for Thessaly, Greece, a flood-prone region with extreme flood events recorded in recent years. The study integrates topographical, hydrological, hydraulic, environmental and infrastructure data to train the models. The results demonstrate the potential of machine learning in providing accurate and practical flood risk information to enhance flood management and support decision-making for disaster preparedness in Thessaly.

How to cite: Tepetidis, N., Benekos, I., Iliopoulou, T., Dimitriadis, P., and Koutsoyiannis, D.: Applying machine learning models for flood susceptibility mapping in Thessaly, Greece, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5194, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5194, 2025.

08:39–08:41
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EGU25-5135
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ECS
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Virtual presentation
Konstantinos-Christofer Tsolakidis, Konstantinos Papoulakos, Theano Iliopoulou, Nikolaos Tepetidis, Panayiotis Dimitriadis, Dimosthenis Tsaknias, and Demetris Koutsoyiannis

Climate data and machine learning integration for evaluating flood insurance risk patterns

Konstantinos C Tsolakidis1, Konstantinos Papoulakos1, Nikolaos Tepetidis1, Theano Iliopoulou1, Panayiotis Dimitriadis1, Dimosthenis Tsaknias2, and Demetris Koutsoyiannis1 (order of authors to be determined)

1Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechneiou 5, GR-157 80 Zografou, Greece

2 Independent researcher, Greece

Flood events, exacerbated by climate variability, pose significant challenges to flood risk management and the insurance industry in the United States. To enhance flood risk modeling strategies, this study employs machine learning to predict regions prone to high flood insurance claims by integrating hydrological, meteorological, and socio-economic data. We combine the FEMA NFIP Redacted Claims dataset, detailing over 2.5 million flood-related insurance claims, with the US-CAMELS streamflow dataset, offering rich hydrological insights across numerous catchments in the USA.

A key focus is the influence of climate indices, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), on flood patterns. Using the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) as a quantitative metric, we explore the spatiotemporal relationship between ENSO phases, streamflow variability, and flood insurance claims. The analysis considers the geographic proximity of the study regions to hydrographic networks and coastal areas, where flood risks are often heightened due to complex interactions between inland and coastal processes. Furthermore, machine learning models are employed to identify the attributes driving flood vulnerability. Predictors include climate indices, basin characteristics, streamflow patterns, and historical claims data. This integrated approach aims to develop a predictive framework that enhances flood early warning systems and informs policy-making for targeted risk mitigation.

By quantifying the connections between large-scale climate phenomena, regional hydrology, and localized flood risks, this research provides a pathway for advancing flood insurance risk assessment and improving resilience to hydroclimate-driven hazards. Results will be showcased with a case study from the USA, emphasizing the applicability of machine learning in data-driven flood risk management.

How to cite: Tsolakidis, K.-C., Papoulakos, K., Iliopoulou, T., Tepetidis, N., Dimitriadis, P., Tsaknias, D., and Koutsoyiannis, D.: Climate data and machine learning integration for evaluating flood insurancerisk patterns, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5135, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5135, 2025.

08:41–08:43
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PICO4.2
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EGU25-8232
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Yaewon Lee, Bomi Kim, Yusuke Hiraga, and Seong Jin Noh

This study investigates the impacts of climate change on extreme hydrometeorological events using an integrated modeling framework that couples the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with WRF-Hydro. WRF is a numerical weather prediction model that simulates a wide range of atmospheric phenomena, while WRF-Hydro is a physics-based hydrological modeling system that represents hydrological states and their spatiotemporal distributions and interactions. The primary advantage of this integrated approach is the consistent sharing of land surface and boundary conditions between atmospheric and hydrological simulations. This research focuses on Typhoon Hinnamnor, which brought record-breaking rainfall and severe flooding to South Korea in 2022. Multiple WRF simulations with various microphysics schemes are conducted to determine the optimal configuration for retrospective meteorological simulations. Hydrological simulations driven by both ground-based and WRF-generated forcings are analyzed to evaluate hydrological responses at multiple gauging stations along the main channel and local tributaries. Additionally, extreme hydrometeorological conditions under climate change scenarios, projected by the WRF and WRF-Hydro models, are estimated using key meteorological and hydrological variables, including typhoon trajectory, precipitation, pressure, wind speeds, soil moisture, and streamflow. The discussion highlights the advantages and challenges of the integrated modeling approach, as well as the impacts of climate change on hydrometeorological variables across different spatial and temporal scales. Furthermore, we explore strategies for assessing the combined effects of climate and land cover changes using a high-resolution, fully interactive modeling setup.

How to cite: Lee, Y., Kim, B., Hiraga, Y., and Noh, S. J.: Assessing the impacts of climate change on extreme hydrometeorological events using an integrated WRF and WRF-Hydro framework, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8232, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8232, 2025.

Regional hydroclimatic changes and variability
08:43–08:45
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PICO4.3
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EGU25-7024
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Marianna Lada, Christina-Ioanna Stavropoulou, Dimitra-Myrto Tourlaki, Nikos Tepetidis, Panayiotis Dimitriadis, Theano Iliopoulou, and Demetris Koutsoyiannis

The Mediterranean region is regarded as highly vulnerable to climatic changes, affecting its hydrological cycle. This study examines key hydrological processes, such as precipitation, temperature, humidity and evaporation, using Reanalysis datasets to analyze recent climatic variations. Given the stochastic nature of the hydrological cycle, we employ the Hurst-Kolmogorov (HK) stochastic framework to evaluate the persistence properties of the involved processes given the observed climatic variations and compare the results with white noise and Markovian simulations. Additionally, synthetic scenarios are generated to simulate processes with similar persistence properties. The findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of the Mediterranean hydrological cycle and the impact of climate variability.

How to cite: Lada, M., Stavropoulou, C.-I., Tourlaki, D.-M., Tepetidis, N., Dimitriadis, P., Iliopoulou, T., and Koutsoyiannis, D.: Stochastic Analysis of the Hydrological Cycle in the Mediterranean and its Recent Climatic Variations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7024, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7024, 2025.

08:45–08:47
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PICO4.4
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EGU25-4310
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On-site presentation
Tingxing Chen, Haishen Lyu, Yonghua Zhu, Yinghao Fu, Andrea Magnini, and Attilio Castellarin

Extreme precipitation (EP) events have intensified in arid and semi-arid regions due to climate change. Understanding the causal mechanisms driving EP at the sub-seasonal timescale is crucial for improving prediction accuracy and extending forecast lead times. This study investigates EP characteristics in Northwest China (ASRNC) and reveals through a composite analysis that EP is associated with specific atmospheric circulation patterns, including anomalous upper-level thermal and lower-level dynamic conditions. Moisture transport from the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, Mediterranean, and North Atlantic fuels EP events in different regions of the ASRNC. To quantify causal relationships, the extended convergent cross-mapping (CCM) method is employed. CCM outperforms traditional correlation analysis in capturing time lags and directional causality between variables. External circulation factors, such as geopotential height, zonal/meridional winds, outgoing longwave radiation, and specific humidity, exert influence through multifactorial interactions and teleconnections. Internal circulation factors, including surface, subsurface, and deep soil moisture (SWVL1, SWVL2, SWVL3), regulate local moisture cycling. Nevertheless, SWVL1 together with vapor pressure deficit is shown to have a stronger and shorter-term impact, while impacts of SWVL2 and SWVL3 are weaker. These findings provide a robust framework for identifying key drivers of sub-seasonal EP and offer valuable insights for disaster prevention and mitigation strategies as we as for improving future hydro-climatic scenarios in arid and semi-arid regions.

How to cite: Chen, T., Lyu, H., Zhu, Y., Fu, Y., Magnini, A., and Castellarin, A.: Causality of Sub-seasonal Extreme Precipitation in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4310, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4310, 2025.

08:47–08:49
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PICO4.5
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EGU25-9309
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Matteo Pesce, Eleonora Dallan, Francesco Marra, Giorgia Fosser, Petr Vohnicky, and Rashid Akbary

Rising temperatures are increasing the liquid fraction of precipitation in mountainous regions. This change, added to other changes in dynamic and thermodynamic processes generating heavy precipitation, could determine a potential intensification of the flood regime, posing increasing hazards to the population. In this study we aim at quantifying the projected change in liquid sub-daily precipitation extremes in the Greater Alpine Region. We use an ensemble of convection-permitting climate models (CPM) provided by the CORDEX-FPS Convection project at 1 hour temporal resolution and remapped to 3 km spatial resolution, covering historical (1996-2005) and far future (2090-2099) time periods under the RCP8.5 scenario. Total precipitation extremes are estimated from the total precipitation time series by identifying the independent storms, extracting the ordinary events and using the Simplified Metastatistical Extreme Value (SMEV) approach. Temperature is then used to separate the liquid and solid fraction of the identified storms, and the liquid and solid precipitation extreme quantiles are estimated. The results for the historical period are validated using station-based statistics of liquid precipitation in the Eastern Italian Alps. Comparing future changes obtained for total, liquid and solid precipitation, our study shows a strong elevation-dependent signal of liquid precipitation extremes amplification over the domain across the entire range of precipitation severity, which is predominant at daily durations. On the contrary, at hourly duration no statistically significant signal of liquid precipitation amplification could be extracted. Advancing earlier results by Dallan et al. (2024), this study highlights that the changes in liquid precipitation are enhanced more at daily duration, typically affected by dynamic factors and processes, than at hourly duration, for which thermodynamics plays a major role. Obtaining robust estimates of these changes is crucial for better managing water resources and designing adaptation strategies. This is particularly important for infrastructures such as dams, which are often located at high elevation and so are strongly impacted by changes in the liquid-solid phase separation.

How to cite: Pesce, M., Dallan, E., Marra, F., Fosser, G., Vohnicky, P., and Akbary, R.: Warming-induced increase in liquid fraction amplifies sub-daily rainfall extremes in the Greater Alpine Region, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9309, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9309, 2025.

08:49–08:51
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PICO4.6
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EGU25-14526
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Rui Guo, Hung Nguyen, Stefano Galelli, Serena Ceola, and Alberto Montanari

Four of the largest river basins in Europe – Rhine, Rhône, Po, and Danube – are fed by Alpine water resources. Recent hydrological extremes, including catastrophic floods and prolonged droughts, have highlighted the vulnerability of these basins to climatic variability, with significant consequences for downstream populations, economies, and ecosystems. Understanding the potential drivers behind changes in streamflow patterns, particularly the relative contributions of precipitation and temperature, is essential for improving the attribution of extreme hydrological events and informing sustainable freshwater resource management. However, relatively short instrumental hydroclimatic records (i.e., precipitation, temperature and streamflow) in the European Alps limit our understanding of the long-term influence of climate variability on hydrological extremes. Here, by integrating paleo streamflow reconstructions, paleo climatic reanalysis, and climate model simulations, we examine how past and future variability in precipitation and temperature has influenced extreme hydrological events. Through advanced statistical and machine learning approaches, we quantify the relative contributions of precipitation and temperature to observed, reconstructed and projected streamflow anomalies, exploring their respective roles in triggering extreme flood and drought events. By comparing historical trends with future projections across different climate scenarios, we aim to identify the primary climatic drivers of hydrological extremes and their evolution over time. This work highlights the need for a better understanding of long-term climatic forcing mechanisms to improve attributions of hydrological extremes and develop robust adaptation strategies for the Alpine region and its vital river basins.

How to cite: Guo, R., Nguyen, H., Galelli, S., Ceola, S., and Montanari, A.: Long-Term Influence of Climate Variability on Hydrological Extremes across European Alpine Rivers, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14526, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14526, 2025.

08:51–08:53
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EGU25-20427
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ECS
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Highlight
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Virtual presentation
Marc Prange, Ming Zhao, Elena Shevliakova, Minki Hong, and Sergey Malyshev

Efforts in enhancing resolutions of climate models are largely motivated by improving the representation of precipitation. Accurately capturing precipitation is key for understanding how a variety of natural hazards will change in the future, such as floods and droughts. Recent advances of climate models within HIGHRES-MIP to 50 km resolution and higher showed significant improvements in representing precipitation compared to CMIP6, particularly that associated with frontal systems of the mid-latitudes often manifesting as Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). Here, we leverage these new capabilities to study the sensitivity of high river streamflows on land to warming. We do so by utilizing the coupled atmosphere and land surface model AM4/LM4.0 developed at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). By applying a lagged correlation analysis between streamflows of the coupled river network and its upstream drivers, we identify major changes in drivers of high flows in response to a simple pseudo global warming experiment that yields a spatially homogeneous precipitation increase across most of the US.

We find that changes in high river flows show a strong dipole pattern across the US with increases in the East and decreases in most of the West. The increase in high-flows over the Eastern US is driven by an increase in precipitation-driven high-flows that exceeds the reduction in melt-driven high-flows. Among precipitation-driven high-flows, ARs contribute most to the increase. The reduction of high flows across the central and Western US is explained by significantly weaker snowmelt in spring. Here, increases in precipitation with warming, particularly from ARs, are counteracted by increased evaporation causing streamflows to dwindle. A Budyko-Analysis reveals that the disconnect of changes in precipitation and high flows can be explained by the energetic potential of the land-surface to evaporate the additional precipitation. While this potential is high over the central and Western US, it is low over the Eastern US. Finally, the overall reduction of snowmelt is found to alter the seasonality of high-flows with warming, for example in different sub-basins of the Mississippi where the month of peak high-flows shifts from March to May.

How to cite: Prange, M., Zhao, M., Shevliakova, E., Hong, M., and Malyshev, S.: How the response of high river flows to warming across the US is only loosely tied to precipitation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20427, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20427, 2025.

Future hydroclimatic scenarios
08:53–08:55
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PICO4.8
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EGU25-4091
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Yue Lai, Rui Guo, and Alberto Montanari

Inferring the statistical behaviours of future rainfall extremes is a topical issue for the mitigation of pluvial and flood risk. There is increasing evidence that extreme short-duration rainfall is intensifying, but the quantification of such increase is still a challenging issue. By banking on the availability of one of the longest daily rainfall series today available, continuously recorded in Bologna from Jan 1st, 1850, we test the performances of up-to-date CMIP6 climate models in the reproduction of historical rainfall statistics and assess the projections for the XXIst century, with different emission scenarios. We refer to the extreme rainfall indexes given by the annual and 10-year maximum 1-day rainfall (Rx1day), the annual and 10-year number of heavy (>10 mm) and very heavy (>20 mm) rainfall days (R10mm and R20mm) and the annual and 10-year number of days with rainfall greater than the 99th percentile of daily amounts (R99p). The results confirm the expectation of a potential increase of heavy rainfall during the next decades.

How to cite: Lai, Y., Guo, R., and Montanari, A.: Extreme future rainfall in Bologna: exploring climate scenarios depicted by CMIP6 models, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4091, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4091, 2025.

08:55–08:57
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PICO4.9
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EGU25-1819
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On-site presentation
Guangxin Zhang and Yanfeng Wu
The evolution speed of droughts largely determines their characteristics and ensuing implications. Despite its importance, the potential accelerating effects of future climate change on these events are not fully understood. Here, we assessed changes in instantaneous development speed (IDS) and instantaneous recovery speed (IRS) of global droughts at various warming levels (1.5 °C, 2 °C, and 3 °C) under two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP2.4–5 and SSP5.8–5 scenarios). The recently released NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections CMIP6 datasets were used to characterize droughts based on the standardized precipitation index and run theory. In SSP2.4–5 and SSP5.8–5 scenarios, the proportions of global regions that underwent faster IDS accounted for 69.5 % vs. 43.3 %, and the slower counterparts were 29.4 % vs. 55.7 % compared to the historical period (1950–2014). In contrast, the global IRS in both SSP scenarios mainly slowed down, especially the SSP 5.8–5 scenario exhibiting declines in 75 % of the global regions. With intensified global warming, the regions with rapid IDS and IRS would expand, while low-IRS areas would shrink. Notably, areas showing slower IDS also increased when the warming level rose from 1 °C to 3 °C. Furthermore, eight hotspots with relatively rapid historical IDS and IRS persisted across the three warming levels under the SSPs in different future trends compared to the past conditions. These results provide insights into drought evolution speed assessment under climate change, highlighting the necessity of considering this variable in developing effective response strategies.
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How to cite: Zhang, G. and Wu, Y.: Will drought evolution accelerate under future climate?, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1819, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1819, 2025.

08:57–08:59
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PICO4.10
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EGU25-7328
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ECS
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On-site presentation
Manuel Muñoz-Villa, Ximena Vargas, Pablo Mendoza, and Nicolás Vásquez

Over the past decades, extreme events like floods and droughts have become more frequent and intense, and future climate change scenarios may worsen this condition. Hence, we examine projected changes in drought characteristics under the SSP5-8.5 climate scenario in the Cautín river basin, located in the Araucanía region, Chile. To this end, we calibrated 20 model structures created with the FUSE hydrological modeling platform, using historical daily data available from 1979 to 2014. Runoff projections were generated using the three best-performing model structures, selected based on the Kling-Gupta using daily flows in raw and logarithmic space, with values exceeding 0.9. To evaluate meteorological and hydrological droughts, we used the Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI), and the Standardized Streamflow Flow (SSFI) computed for a 12-month time scale, considering five global circulation models (GCMs).

The catchment-scale precipitation is projected to decrease ~40% for the period 2051-2085 compared to the historical reference period 1979-2014, and median runoff values are expected to decrease 61% according to some GCMs. The results indicate that the duration of moderate meteorological and hydrological droughts is expected to increase by 144 months and up to 87 months, respectively. Additionally, the mean intensity of extreme meteorological droughts based on the SPEI index is projected to be 2.33, and the mean intensity of moderate hydrological droughts based on the SSFI index is projected to be 1.2, both for the 2051-2085 period.

How to cite: Muñoz-Villa, M., Vargas, X., Mendoza, P., and Vásquez, N.: Projections of Hydrological Droughts under SSP5-8.5 Scenario in the Cautín River Basin, Chile, using hydrological models calibrated in the FUSE platform., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7328, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7328, 2025.

08:59–09:01
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EGU25-6009
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ECS
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Virtual presentation
Ana Corrochano- Fraile and Lindsay Beevers

This study examines how climate change impacts hydrological patterns in a heavily contaminated Scottish catchment, focusing on extreme events like floods and droughts. By analysing historical trends, projecting future scenarios, and modelling contaminant transport, it highlights the challenges of predicting hydrological extremes and their implications for water quality and environmental management.

Adapting hydrological models to account for future climate conditions is complex, particularly when predicting extreme events like floods and droughts. Traditional models, calibrated using historical data, often fail to capture hydrological behaviour in a rapidly changing environment. This research addresses these challenges by testing calibration techniques to enhance model performance across various flow conditions and contaminant transport processes.

A key difficulty lies in balancing model sensitivity to both high-flow events, which drive rapid contaminant transport, and low-flow conditions, where contaminants persist due to slower water movement. Techniques such as parameter sensitivity analysis and statistical optimization methods—like Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)—are employed to ensure models accurately represent diverse hydrological conditions. These models are validated under different climate scenarios to predict future extreme events and contaminant behaviours.

Multi-objective calibration techniques, which account for high- and low-flow dynamics, prove more effective in predicting future hydrological extremes. Metrics like peak flow rates, baseflow, NSE, and RMSE assess performance, aiding in flood mitigation and water quality risk management. By improving model robustness, this approach provides critical insights into water and contaminant movement under varying flow scenarios, supporting better preparedness for climate-driven challenges.

The River Almond catchment (375 km²) is one of Scotland’s most polluted river systems, shaped by industrial shifts, agricultural intensification, and urbanisation. These activities have created pollution hotspots, with pharmaceuticals, pesticides, nutrients, and endocrine disruptors as key contaminants. Their transport is closely tied to water flow dynamics, with hydrological signatures offering critical insights, especially during extreme events.

Periods of extreme rainfall or drought significantly influence contaminant behaviour. High-flow events mobilize contaminants like ibuprofen, while endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A display flow-dependent patterns influenced by location and intensity. Rainfall after prolonged dry periods drives sudden spikes in the movement of pollutants, particularly microplastics, emphasizing the role of rain pulses in dispersion.

This study uses hydrograph analysis to assess contaminant responses to water flow fluctuations. Floods are expected to accelerate long-distance pollutant transport, while droughts may concentrate contaminants in stagnant water or sediments, creating latent risks reactivated by subsequent rainfall.

As climate change intensifies flow variability, understanding these pathways is essential for improving water quality management, mitigating pollution risks, and safeguarding the River Almond catchment’s resources.

How to cite: Corrochano- Fraile, A. and Beevers, L.: Hydrological modelling: Insights into hydrological signals and contaminant transport, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6009, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6009, 2025.

09:01–09:03
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PICO4.11
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EGU25-6897
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On-site presentation
Despoina Balachtari, Theano Iliopoulou, Panayiotis Dimitriadis, Nikos Mamassis, and Demetris Koutsoyiannis

This study explores the stochastic analysis of wind and solar meteorological processes, focusing on simultaneous simulations at small scales while preserving marginal distribution, periodicities and dependence structure. Using historical data from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport as a case study, the analysis employs the Hurst-Kolmogorov process to model variability and long-term dependence.

By integrating the Hurst-Kolmogorov framework with recent stochastic modelling algorithms, synthetic time series are generated to emulate realistic patterns of wind and solar variability. Special attention is given to assessing the correlation between wind and solar processes, as their interplay significantly influences the balance and reliability of renewable energy systems.  These simulations aim to enhance the reliability of renewable energy resource assessments, supporting decision-making for infrastructure design and offering practical applications beyond the case study to broader renewable energy systems planning.

How to cite: Balachtari, D., Iliopoulou, T., Dimitriadis, P., Mamassis, N., and Koutsoyiannis, D.: Stochastic simulations of wind and solar processes for reliable renewable energy decision-making, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6897, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6897, 2025.

09:03–09:05
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EGU25-11620
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ECS
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Virtual presentation
Sabrina Formigoni, Teresa Albuquerque, Catarina Silva, Natalia Roque, Fulvio Celico, and Marco D'Oria

This study aims to determine the potential evolution of the climatic water balance in the Viso-Queridas Aquifer system, Portugal, under various climate change scenarios, to identify critical patterns and vulnerabilities, providing a spatial assessment of potential changes in water availability over time, which combines point-based climatic water balance with geostatistical techniques.

The Viso-Queridas Aquifer System is located in Coimbra (Portugal). The aquifer is moderately productive, primarily porous, and composed of detrital materials with highly variable textures and a lenticular structure about 200 m thick. Clay layers separate the various aquifer units, giving the aquifer a multilayered character. Due to the variability in granulometric composition, the hydraulic characteristics can vary significantly from one location to another. The aquifer is expected to be bounded at the top by a free surface; however, as depth increases, the multilayered structure quickly introduces confined/semi-confined conditions.

Historical precipitation and temperature data (1971-2000) were obtained from the WorldClim portal, along with future climate projections based on Shared Socioeconomic Pathways: SSP2-45: “Middle of the Road” (intermediate emission: CO2 emissions around current levels until 2050, then falling but not reaching net zero); SSP3-70: “A Rocky Road” (high emissions: CO2 emissions double by 2100) and SSP5-85: “Taking the Highway” (very high emissions: CO2 emissions triple by 2075).

The Thornthwaite equation was used to estimate potential evapotranspiration, enabling the computation of climatic water balances for the historical period and two future timeframes: 2041–2060 (centered on 2050) and 2081–2100 (centered on 2090), at a spatial resolution of 30 arc-seconds. Sequential Gaussian Simulation (SGS) was used to map the spatial distribution of the climatic water balance and its associated uncertainty, while G-cluster analysis was conducted to identify significant spatial clusters.

Analysis focused on August (dry season) and December (wet season) revealed key patterns in the water balance evolution. Critical areas expanding significantly in the eastern part of the study region led to severe deficits (negative values) being most prevalent in August 2090. The already vulnerable area is being affected more and more, which highlights the growing pressure on water resources during the dry season. In contrast, December exhibited positive water balances due to higher precipitation and reduced evapotranspiration; however, critical areas in this month shifted towards the south and southeast, underscoring the persistent vulnerability of the eastern region.

The most pronounced spatial changes were observed especially between 2050 and 2090, where stable zones progressively transitioned to negative balances, revealing the stark contrast between August, and December.

This study highlights how the Viso-Queridas Aquifer system may be increasingly impacted by climate change, with significant seasonal and spatial disparities in climatic water balance. The findings stress the urgency of implementing adaptive water management strategies focused on the most vulnerable areas particularly the eastern regions during summer and the southern areas during winter. These insights aim to assist policymakers in developing sustainable and resilient approaches to safeguard groundwater resources in Portugal, ensuring their availability for future generations.

How to cite: Formigoni, S., Albuquerque, T., Silva, C., Roque, N., Celico, F., and D'Oria, M.: Future climatic water balance perspectives under climate change scenarios – a Portuguese case study, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11620, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11620, 2025.

09:05–10:15