Thoenes et al. (2026) Influence of rainfall event characteristics and antecedent conditions on subsurface stormflow response of two forested hillslopes

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Hydrology and earth system sciences
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-16
• Authors: Emanuel Thoenes, Theresa Blume, Markus Weiler, Bernhard Kohl, Luisa Hopp, Stefan Achleitner
• DOI: 10.5194/hess-30-4405-2026

Research Groups

• Department of Hydrology, University of Freiburg
• Institute for Water Resources and River Basin Management, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Short Summary

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of subsurface stormflow (SSF) event characteristics and antecedent conditions at two forested hillslope sites over a 2-year period. The results show that SSF volume is primarily controlled by total rainfall and antecedent wetness.

Objective

• Investigate the complex relationships between antecedent conditions, rainfall characteristics, and subsurface stormflow response in upland and mountainous environments.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Hillslope scale (2 forested hillslope sites)
• Temporal Scale: 2-year period

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned
• Data sources: In-situ measurements from research trenches, including rainfall and SSF event characteristics, antecedent conditions, and soil moisture index.

Main Results

• SSF volume is primarily controlled by total rainfall (Ptot) and antecedent wetness.
• Volumes are up to three orders of magnitude larger under wet initial conditions.
• Threshold-like behavior in SSF volume at one trench linked to irregular topography of underlying bedrock.
• Precipitation threshold varies between 15 and 20 mm for wet and dry antecedent conditions, respectively.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the complex relationships between antecedent conditions, rainfall characteristics, and subsurface stormflow response in upland and mountainous environments.
• The results highlight the importance of considering both total rainfall and antecedent wetness when predicting SSF volumes.

Funding

• Not specified

Citation

@article{Thoenes2026Influence,
  author = {Thoenes, Emanuel and Blume, Theresa and Weiler, Markus and Kohl, Bernhard and Hopp, Luisa and Achleitner, Stefan},
  title = {Influence of rainfall event characteristics and antecedent conditions on subsurface stormflow response of two forested hillslopes},
  journal = {Hydrology and earth system sciences},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.5194/hess-30-4405-2026},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-4405-2026}
}