A5032617590- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Climate change and permafrost
- Soil Moisture and Remote Sensing
- Landslides and related hazards
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
- Climate variability and models
- Precipitation Measurement and Analysis
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques
- Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry
- Geological Modeling and Analysis
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Remote Sensing and Land Use
- Wind and Air Flow Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
Eurac Research
2016-2025
Duke University
2006-2012
University of Trento
2004-2007
Abstract. The European Alps stretch over a range of climate zones which affect the spatial distribution snow. Previous analyses station observations snow were confined to regional analyses. Here, we present an Alpine-wide analysis depth from six Alpine countries – Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland including altogether more than 2000 stations 800 used for trend assessment. Using principal component k-means clustering, identified five main modes variability regions...
Abstract This paper describes a new distributed hydrological model, called GEOtop. The model accommodates very complex topography and, besides the water balance, unlike most other models, integrates all terms in surface energy balance equation. GEOtop uses discretization of landscape based on digital elevation data. These data are preprocessed to allow modeling effect radiation incident surface, both shortwave (including shadowing) and longwave (accounting for sky view factor). For saturated...
Abstract This paper describes a coupled, distributed, hydrological‐geotechnical model, GEOtop‐FS, which simulates the probability of occurrence shallow landslides and debris flows. We use hydrological distributed GEOtop, which, models latent sensible heat fluxes surface runoff, computes soil moisture in 3‐D by solving Richards'equation numerically, together with an infinite‐slope geotechnical GEOtop‐FS. The combined model allows both hydraulic properties to be considered realistically...
Abstract Emphasizing the physical intricacies of integrated hydrology and feedbacks in simulating connected, variably saturated groundwater‐surface water systems, Integrated Hydrologic Model Intercomparison Project initiated a second phase (IH‐MIP2), increasing complexity benchmarks first phase. The models that took part intercomparison were ATS, Cast3M, CATHY, GEOtop, HydroGeoSphere, MIKE‐SHE, ParFlow. IH‐MIP2 included tilted v‐catchment with 3‐D subsurface; superslab case expanding slab an...
Abstract. Snow-dominated and glacierized catchments are important sources of fresh water for biological communities populations living in mountain valleys. Gaining a better understanding the runoff origin hydrological interactions between meltwater, streamflow groundwater is critical natural risk assessment mitigation as well effective resource management regions. This study based on use stable isotopes electrical conductivity tracers to identify their seasonal variability catchment Italian...
Abstract We analysed contributions to run‐off using hourly stream water samples from seven individual melt‐induced events (plus one rainfall event) during 2011, 2012 and 2013 in two nested glacierized catchments the Eastern Italian Alps. Electrical conductivity stable isotopes of were used for mixing analysis two‐component three‐component hydrograph separation. High‐elevation snowmelt, glacier melt autumn groundwater identified as major end‐members. Discharge tracers followed diurnal...
Abstract. Knowing the timing and evolution of snow melting process is very important, since it allows prediction (i) snowmelt onset, (ii) gliding wet-snow avalanches, (iii) release contaminants, (iv) runoff onset. The can be monitored by jointly measuring snowpack parameters such as water equivalent (SWE) or amount free liquid content (LWC). However, continuous measurements SWE LWC are rare difficult to obtain. On other hand, active microwave sensors synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mounted on...
Abstract. Multiple water sources and the physiographic heterogeneity of glacierized catchments hamper a complete conceptualization runoff response to meltwater dynamics. In this study, we used environmental tracers (stable isotopes electrical conductivity) obtain new insight into hydrology catchments, using Saldur River catchment, Italian Alps, as pilot site. We analysed controls on spatial temporal patterns tracer signature in main stream, its selected tributaries, shallow groundwater,...
Abstract. A high-resolution gridded dataset of daily mean temperature and precipitation series spanning the period 1980–2018 was built for Trentino-South Tyrol, a mountainous region in north-eastern Italy, starting from an archive observation more than 200 meteorological stations covering regional domain surrounding countries. The original station data underwent processing chain including quality consistency checks, homogeneity tests, with homogenization most relevant breaks series, filling...
Abstract In mountain areas, land surface temperature (LST) is a key parameter in the energy budget and controlled by complex interplay of topography, incoming radiation atmospheric processes, as well soil moisture distribution, different covers vegetation types. this contribution, LST spatial distribution Stubai Valley Austrian Alps simulated ecohydrological model GEOtop. This simulation compared with ground observations Landsat image order to assess capacity represent interactions terrain,...
This paper presents an approach for retrieval of soil moisture content (SMC) from different satellite sensors with a focus on mountain areas. The novelties the are: extension already developed method to coarse resolution data (150 m) in environment high land heterogeneity, only VV polarization and proper selection input features. During result analysis, several algorithm characteristics were clearly identified: 1) performances showed be strongly related features such as topography vegetation...
Abstract. Understanding the hydrological and hydrochemical functioning of glacierized catchments requires knowledge different controlling factors their mutual interplay. For this purpose, present study was carried out in two sub-catchments Sulden River catchment (130 km2; eastern Italian Alps) 2014 2015, characterized by a similarly sized but contrasting geological setting. Samples were taken at space timescales for analysis stable isotopes water, electrical conductivity, major, minor trace...
Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key variable in the hydrological cycle and it directly impacts surface balance its accurate assessment essential for correct water management. ET difficult to measure, since existing methods direct estimate, such as weighing lysimeter or eddy-covariance system, are often expensive require well-trained research personnel. To overcome this limit, different authors developed experimental models indirect estimation of ET. However, accuracy prediction crucial from...
Abstract Snowfall and snow accumulation play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems human activities the Alpine region. This resource is under threat as consequence of visible effects global warming, and, therefore, it appears urgent to understand how snowfall trends have changed time space. In this context, we recovered data from over hundred (HN) series covering period 1980–2020 mountain region Trentino‐South Tyrol northeastern Italian Alps analysed them climatology region, recent their...
Ground surface temperature (GST, depth of 5 cm) is essential for understanding the climate-induced impacts in Earth Critical Zone, especially cold regions. This work aims to detect GST variability from fine (2 16 m) local and landscape scales 50 km2) along an 800-m elevational transect. The study area located southern part Headwater Area Yellow River (HAYR), a representative discontinuous alpine permafrost on northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. From 2019 2020, was recorded at 39 sites under...
Abstract A snow accumulation and melt module implemented in the GEOTOP model is presented tested. GEOTOP, a distributed of hydrological cycle, based on digital elevation models (DEMs), calculates discharge at basin outlet estimates local values several hydro‐meteorological quantities. It solves energy mass balance jointly deals accurately with effects topography interactions among radiation physics, cycle. Soil properties are considered to depend soil temperature moisture, heat water...
Abstract The GEOtop model makes it possible to analyze the short- and long-term effects of geomorphic variation on partitioning lateral surface subsurface water energy fluxes. topography Little Washita basin (Oklahoma) Serraia (Trentino, Italy) have been used as base topographies from which virtual with altered slopes elevations created corresponding modifications soil thickness extension channel network, according applicable geomorphological theories, in order quantify contribution these...
ABSTRACT The effects of elevation on surface water fluxes in dry alpine grassland ecosystems were investigated along an elevational transect between 1000 and 2000 m above sea level established the Vinschgau/Venosta valley, a relatively region Italian Alps. GEOtop‐dv hydrological model was employed point‐scale mode to gradient snow equivalent ( SWE ), soil content θ evapotranspiration ET aboveground biomass B ag ) use efficiency WUE different climatic conditions. Results show that decreased...
In this work, the polarimetric capability of RADARSAT-2 images is exploited in aim soil moisture content retrieval Alpine meadows and pastures. Three feature extraction methods are investigated: simple intensity phase processing, H/A/α decomposition, Independent Component Analysis (ICA). The features extracted according to these strategies were assessed for their improve estimation by considering both quantitative performance on a set reference samples qualitative analysis corresponding...
Abstract In this paper, we addressed a sensitivity analysis of the snow module GEOtop2.0 model at point and catchment scale in small high‐elevation Eastern Italian Alps (catchment size: 61 km 2 ). Simulated depth water equivalent were compared with measured data four locations from 2009 to 2013. At scale, simulated snow‐covered area (SCA) was binary cover maps derived moderate‐resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Landsat satellite imagery. Sensitivity analyses used assess effect...
In mountain basins, the use of long-range operational weather radars is often associated with poor quantitative precipitation estimation due to a number challenges posed by complexity terrain. As result, applicability radar-based estimates for hydrological studies limited over areas that are in close proximity radar. This study evaluates advantages using X-band polarimetric (XPOL) radar as means fill coverage gaps and improve complex terrain applications based on field experiment conducted...
Abstract. The hydrological cycle is strongly influenced by the accumulation and melting of seasonal snow. For this reason, mountains are often claimed to be “water towers” world. In context, a key variable snow water equivalent (SWE). However, complex processes accumulation, redistribution, ablation make its quantification prediction very challenging. work, we explore use multi-source data reconstruct SWE at high spatial resolution (HR) 25 m. To purpose, propose novel approach based on (i)...