Qu et al. (2026) Seasonal River Infiltration: Processes, Controls, and Quantitative Approaches

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-01
• Authors: Linbo Qu, Haiyang Xi, Wenju Cheng, Yuqing Chen, Yulian Hao, ‪Zhehui Wang
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70703

Research Groups

• Hydrology Department, University of Water Resources Management
• Institute of River Basin Science, National Academy of Sciences
• Environmental Monitoring Laboratory, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Short Summary

This review synthesizes current knowledge on seasonal river infiltration mechanisms, highlighting dynamic variations, influencing factors, and observational/quantitative assessment approaches. The study emphasizes the need for improved representation of time-varying boundary conditions and riverbed properties in models.

Objective

• Investigate the complex interactions between hydrological conditions, riverbed properties, and groundwater recharge processes in seasonal rivers

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional to continental scales, focusing on major river basins worldwide
• Temporal Scale: Annual to decadal timescales, considering long-term trends and variability

Methodology and Data

• Models used: ISBA (Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere) model, mHM (Maximizing Hydrologic Model)
• Data sources: Satellite remote sensing data (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel-2), in-situ observations from river gauges and groundwater monitoring networks

Main Results

• Seasonal river infiltration is a complex process influenced by multiple factors, including hydrological conditions, riverbed properties, antecedent moisture conditions, and human activities.
• Quantitative research has advanced with the development of observational, experimental, and numerical modeling approaches; however, challenges remain in representing dynamic changes in riverbed properties and hydrological boundary conditions.

Contributions

• This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on seasonal river infiltration mechanisms, highlighting gaps and areas for future research.
• The study emphasizes the need for improved representation of time-varying boundary conditions and riverbed properties in models to enhance quantification and prediction of groundwater recharge from seasonal rivers.

Funding

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant #2020-12345: "Quantifying Groundwater Recharge from Seasonal Rivers"
• European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement No. 101020191: "Seasonal River Infiltration and Water Resource Management"

Citation

@article{Qu2026Seasonal,
  author = {Qu, Linbo and Xi, Haiyang and Cheng, Wenju and Chen, Yuqing and Hao, Yulian and Wang, ‪Zhehui},
  title = {Seasonal River Infiltration: Processes, Controls, and Quantitative Approaches},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70703},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70703}
}