AboutHydrology

Seasonal snowpack is a key component of the mountain cryosphere , acting as a vital natural reservoir that regulates runoff downstream in snowfed basins. In mid- and low-elevation mountain regions such as the European Alps , snow processes, such as accumulation and ablation , are highly sensitive to climate change , having direct implications for hydrological forecasting and water availability. I…

In mountainous regions, the sparse distribution of precipitation gauges at high elevations is a major source of uncertainty in snowfall estimation. This matters beyond the local scale: uncertainties originating in headwater areas propagate through hydrological modelling, affecting the estimation of all water balance components downstream. Yet establishing dense gauge networks in complex mountain …

Aristotle had it all wrong. Dalton , Horton , Sherman and Leopold played the starting gong. Eagleson , Rodriguez-Iturbe went for a grand theory, in which they believed. Ignacio ( Vujica teaches ) dated with randomness. It is (dis-)organized complexity, Jim Dooge said. Richards , Richardson , Harlan and Freeze insisted on using PDEs. Horton said the runoff is infiltration excess, Dunne said that i…

This post extends the discussion of [ Minkowski functionals ] by exploring the deepest topological aspects of M₃—the Euler characteristic. In our previous posts on Minkowski functionals, we established that M₀ (volume), M₁ (surface area), and M₂ (curvature) are purely geometric measures. They tell us about size, shape, and form. But M₃—the Euler characteristic—is fundamentally different. It's a…

The lab component makes up nearly half of the course , following the motto: "Learning by doing." Throughout the lab, you will conduct at least three key numerical experiments : Time Series Analysis – Exploring various data elaborations with various Jupyter Notebooks and a little of Python Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) Curves – Estimating rainfall intensity over different time scales with var…

Welcome to the 2026 Hydrological Modeling Class! To better understand the materials provided: Storyboards – Summaries of the lectures, usually in Italian . Whiteboards – Explanations of specific topics, presented on a whiteboard using Notability on an iPad . Slides – Commented in English (available since 2021). Videos – Recorded during lectures to complement the slides, with no editing (as post-p…

Work in progress Hydrology is a fascinating field because water is essential for life and human activities . It is fundamentally the Physics of the Hydrological Cycle , yet it is deeply interconnected with biochemical processes and geology due to water's crucial role in ecosystems. Here a brief introduction from a National Geographics post . A companion page is available for the laboratory exerc…

In the rapidly shifting landscape of scientific research, Large Language Models (LLMs) have emerged as more than just productivity tools; they are powerful engines for augmenting human creativity. As a hydrologist navigating complex phenomena like percolation theory and soil water dynamics , I have developed a hybrid workflow that integrates a suite of LLMs—including Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT, and Cl…

Unsaturated flow theory is one of the cornerstones of hydrology . For nearly a century, the Richards equation has provided a mathematical framework for describing how water moves through partially saturated soils. At its core lies a powerful simplification: the hydraulic state of soil can be described by water content alone . Yet decades of experiments tell a different story. Across laboratories,…

Following our session on Evapotranspiration , I am listing some relevant resources beyond what we have already shared. Videos from previous GEOframe Schools are available here , and recordings from this year's school will be posted soon. Core Reading The most mature presentation of the theory, particularly for the latter part, is D'Amato and Rigon (2025a). A brief Claude-generated summary is avai…

Go to Part I Go to Part III Revisiting the Hadwiger Theorem In Part 1, we introduced Minkowski functionals as a mathematically complete framework for geometric characterization, grounded in the Hadwiger theorem . Let's examine this completeness claim more carefully, because understanding what it means—and what it doesn't mean, is crucial for applying these tools appropriately in soil hydrology . …

Go to part II Hysteresis and non equilibrium in unsaturated soil flow Introduction How do we truly characterize the spatial distribution of water in soil? Beyond simple metrics like water content or saturation, the geometry and topology of water distribution carry crucial information about soil hydraulic behavior. This is where Minkowski functionals offer a powerful mathematical framework, one th…

Soil physics textbooks often illustrate hysteresis with a simple diagram of a pore shaped like an old ink bottle : a wide body connected to a narrow neck. The story is familiar: during drainage, water is trapped in the wide body because the narrow neck controls the suction at which the pore can empty; during wetting, the pore fills at a lower suction than it empties. The ink-bottle model has been…

Freezing soil presents unique challenges in understanding the coupled mass and energy dynamics within the Earth’s critical zone. This paper presents a comprehensive thermodynamic framework for analyzing phase transitions in soil-water-ice systems. We present a unified treatment based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics, where temperature, pressure, and chemical potential act as primary driving forc…

Following my LinkedIn post , I've gained around fifty new followers and received several inquiries about the PhD and postdoc positions. While many CVs show promise, they often lack the specific background we're seeking. To be clear: we value genuine interest and appreciation of our research over purely academic credentials, but this commitment must be demonstrated, not just stated. Before reachin…

I've shared various posts about the STRADIVARI project over recent months. Now that both versions, submitted to the ERC Advanced Grant and FIS3 programs , were not selected for funding, I feel free to upload them to my collection of unsuccessful proposals. The panel evaluations, when they arrive, will provide valuable learning opportunities. I'm fully aware these projects were ambitious, perhaps …

What written here is nothing new. Is just what already present in previous papers and post, just said in a different manner to put a bridge among what people write in literature and what we think should be written. Time Variables and Their Definitions The foundation of travel time theory rests on two fundamental time variables: $T$ ( transit time ) and $t$ (actual or clock time). Transit time is …

Seasonal snowpack is a key component of the mountain cryosphere, acting as a vital natural reservoir that regulates runoff downstream in snowfed basins. In mid- and low-elevation mountain regions such as the European Alps, snow processes, such as accumulation and ablation, are highly sensitive to climate change, having direct implications for hydrological forecasting and water availability. This …

This is the presentation I am giving at the Roots2025 event . It talks about the GEOSPACE infrastructured to study the soil-plant-atmosphere interactions .  Being a very compressed presentation I cannot go to all the details which are better grasped by reading the references below or browsing the various contributions that can be found in this blog under the keyword GEOSPACE . GEOSPACE infrastruc…

In the rapidly changing Arctic, understanding permafrost behavior is critical for infrastructure, ecosystems, and climate science. Marianna Tavonatti's master's thesis at the University of Trento has delivered some achievements that points towards the advance our understanding of Canadian Arctic permafrost dynamics and provide essential tools for climate adaptation. Permafrost—permanently frozen …