Climate–groundwater interactions play a vital role in the water cycle. This climate–groundwater interaction might be uni-or bidirectional (two-way) depending on climate and soil characteristics. In areas with bidirectional coupling, not only is the groundwater influenced by the climate (e.g., through precipitation), but it can also contribute to the climate by various feedback from groundwater-subsurface interactions, including impacts on evaporation, soil moisture, and vegetation. These feedbacks become more important in the face of climate change and climate variability, which can significantly impact the local urban climate. [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]   

Accurate prediction of the evaporative fluxes from lakes are crucial to a wide range of hydrological and environmental processes. It plays a central role in shaping aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and is a key component affecting terrestrial mass and energy fluxes. Evaporation from lakes is influenced by the lake’s characteristics and the climatic parameters. Accurate prediction of the evaporation from lakes is a grand challenge due to the complex coupling between atmospheric conditions and the inherent characteristics of lakes (e.g. depth, radiation attenuation). [Click here for more information]

Groundwater is the largest freshwater storage in the world. Its quantity and quality are hence of importance for ecosystems and humans. Its annual renewal potential plays an important role when quantifying (future) available water resources and provides us with a basis for future decision making in water resource management. However, groundwater recharge cannot be measured directly, and several methods have been applied in the past, trying to summarize the complex processes. We are developing quantitative tools capable of predicting groundwater recharge on a global scale under a changing climate. [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]