Bäthke et al. (2026) Hysteresis between groundwater and surface water levels indicates the states of hydrological turnover affecting solute transport and redox processes

Identification

• Journal: Hydrology and earth system sciences
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-04
• Authors: Lars Bäthke, Tobias Schuetz
• DOI: 10.5194/hess-30-4889-2026

Research Groups

• Department of Hydrology, Faculty of Regional and Environmental Sciences, University of Trier, Trier, Germany

Short Summary

This study examines the relationship between hydrological turnover (HT) and stream-stage-groundwater-level hysteresis patterns under various system states in a third-order tributary of the River Mosel in Trier, Germany. The results reveal distinct seasonal dynamics in groundwater-surface water exchange, with counterclockwise hysteresis prevalent during summer and drought conditions.

Objective

• Investigate the relationship between hydrological turnover (HT) and stream-stage-groundwater-level hysteresis patterns.
• Examine the impact of seasonal changes on system state and hydrological turnover.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Local scale, focusing on a third-order tributary of the River Mosel in Trier, Germany.
• Temporal Scale: Two years of data collection, with a focus on seasonal dynamics.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned.
• Data sources: Field measurements, including stream-stage and groundwater-level data, as well as chemical observations collected over two years.

Main Results

• Distinct seasonal dynamics in groundwater-surface water exchange were observed, with counterclockwise hysteresis prevalent during summer and drought conditions.
• The h-Index was used to quantify the direction and magnitude of hysteresis between groundwater and stream water levels.
• A strong correlation was found between hydrological turnover (HT) and hysteresis characteristics.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the relationship between hydrological turnover (HT) and stream-stage-groundwater-level hysteresis patterns, highlighting the importance of considering seasonal dynamics in groundwater-surface water exchange.
• The use of the h-Index as a diagnostic tool for tracking seasonal changes in GW-SW connectivity, storage, and hyporheic zone behavior is a significant contribution.

Funding

• This research was funded by [insert funding agency or project name], with reference code [insert reference code].

Citation

@article{Bäthke2026Hysteresis,
  author = {Bäthke, Lars and Schuetz, Tobias},
  title = {Hysteresis between groundwater and surface water levels indicates the states of hydrological turnover affecting solute transport and redox processes},
  journal = {Hydrology and earth system sciences},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.5194/hess-30-4889-2026},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-4889-2026}
}