Brief Communication: Investigating the invisible subsurface stormflow process through a thorough and systematic study across sites and scales

Abstract. Subsurface stormflow (SSF) is one of the least studied and therefore least understood runoff generation processes because detecting and quantifying SSF is extremely challenging. However, the impact of SSF on streamflow dynamics and water quality is much larger than commonly assumed. The hydrologic community should therefore not shy away from the challenge to monitor SSF, but should instead join forces, make creative use of novel sensing techniques and systematically tackle the investigation of this elusive process. While this endeavor is high in effort and risk, it also comes with the potential of high gain. We here describe the challenges and propose a possible way forward.

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Published
2025-09-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4424
Primary Topic
Groundwater flow and contamination studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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Brief Communication: Investigating the invisible subsurface stormflow process through a thorough and systematic study across sites and scales

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Groundwater flow and contamination studies
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Brief Communication: Investigating the invisible subsurface stormflow process through a thorough and systematic study across sites and scales

Stefan Hergarten, Theresa Blume, Ilja van Meerveld, Peter Chifflard, Stefan Achleitner, Florian Leese, Bernhard Kohl, Andreas Hartmann, Markus Weiler, Christian Reinhardt‐Imjela, Luisa Hopp
article en

Abstract

Abstract. Subsurface stormflow (SSF) is one of the least studied and therefore least understood runoff generation processes because detecting and quantifying SSF is extremely challenging. However, the impact of SSF on streamflow dynamics and water quality is much larger than commonly assumed. The hydrologic community should therefore not shy away from the challenge to monitor SSF, but should instead join forces, make creative use of novel sensing techniques and systematically tackle the investigation of this elusive process. While this endeavor is high in effort and risk, it also comes with the potential of high gain. We here describe the challenges and propose a possible way forward.

University of Freiburg (DE), Philipps University of Marburg (DE), Universität Innsbruck (AT), University of Zurich (CH), Management Center Innsbruck (AT), University Hospital of Zurich (CH), GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (DE), University of Bayreuth (DE), University of Duisburg-Essen (DE), Freie Universität Berlin (DE), Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Openalex Percentile: Top 76%
Groundwater flow and contamination studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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