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Project Description

Module HYDROLOGY

Hydrological extreme events are of high scientific and societal relevance all over the world. ClimEx focuses on a new approach to analyze occurences and behaviour of extreme events in Bavaria and Québec by utilizing the large ensemble climate data described in Module A: CLIMATE. This allows for a new probabilistic approach and process understanding of extreme events with very high return periods (1000 years +). Two physically based hydrological models are used to transform climate input and spatially distributed information like land cover or soil properties into a hydrological response:

In Bavaria, WaSiM setups for all subregions already exist, but ClimEx will provide one single project setup for the entire Bavarian domain (hydrological Bavaria) at a very high resolution of one to three hours and 500 meters. In combination with the climate input data (both RCM data and reference dataset) a unique model design will enable new analyses in flood forecasting. This includes the development of a Virtual Perfect Prediction tool to assess hydroclimatic preconditions (intense/long lasting precipitation, saturated soils, etc.) leading to floods.

Hydrological Bavaria (including all upstream catchments outside political Bavaria)
Hydrological modelling in the physically based model WaSiM is spatially distributed, i.e. the model is working pixel-wise and therefore needs several spatially distributed inputs.
Schematic visualization of different input layers and exemplary output interflow (lateral water flow in the unsaturated zone to a stream or the surface, but not groundwater)