Perspectives in Modelling Climate–Hydrology Interactions

Abstract

Various land–atmosphere coupling mechanisms exist that may lead to large-scale impacts on climate and hydrology. Some of them are still less understood and not adequately represented in state-of-the-art climate modelling. But, as the current generation of climate models enables consideration and implementation of important coupling processes, the present study provides perspectives for the modelling of relevant climate–hydrology interactions. On a more short-term perspective, these comprise anthropogenic land use and especially irrigation, which has been shown that it may even affect remote regions. On a long-term perspective, the coupling of hydrology to carbon cycle and vegetation becomes important, specifically the dynamics of permafrost and wetlands. Here, we present a review of current knowledge combined with some exemplary studies from a large-scale point of view. Therefore, we focus on climate–hydrology interactions that are relevant on scales utilized in the current or forthcoming global and regional climate modelling exercises.