@article{fdi:010090325,
  title = {{O}n the relation between antecedent basin conditions and runoff coefficient for {E}uropean floods},
  author = {{M}assari, {C}. and {P}ellet, {V}. and {T}ramblay, {Y}ves and {C}row, {W}. {T}. and {G}ründemann, {G}. {J}. and {H}ascoetf, {T}. and {P}enna, {D}. and {M}odanesi, {S}. and {B}rocca, {L}. and {C}amici, {S}. and {M}arra, {F}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he event runoff coefficient (i.e. the ratio between event runoff and precipitation that originated the runoff) is a key factor for understanding basin response to precipitation events. {R}unoff coefficient depends on precipitation intensity and duration but also on specific basin geohydrology attributes (including soil type, geology, land cover, topography) and last but not least, antecedent (or pre-storm) conditions (i.e., the amount of water stored in the different hydrological compartments, like the river, groundwater, soil and snowpack). {T}he relation between runoff coefficient and basin pre-storm conditions is critical for flood forecasting, yet, the understanding of where, when and how much basin pre-storm conditions control runoff coefficients is still an open question. {H}ere, we tested the control of basin pre-storm conditions on runoff coefficient for 60620 flood events across 284 basins in {E}urope. {T}o do so, we derived basin pre-storm conditions from different proxies, namely: antecedent precipitation; surface and root zone soil moisture from hydrological models, reanalyses and land surface models also ingesting satellite observations; pre-storm river discharge, and pre-storm total water storage anomalies. {W}e evaluated the coupling strength between runoff coefficient and pre-storm conditions proxies in relation to five classes of {E}uropean basins, defined based on land use and soil type (as indexed by the {S}oil {C}onservation {S}ervice curve number {CN}), topography, hydrology and long-term climate and tested their ability to explain stormflow volume variability. {W}e found that precipitation explains relatively well the stormflow volumes for both small and large events but not very well the peak discharge, especially for large floods. {T}he runoff coefficient of events shows different distributions for the five different classes and correlates well with deep soil storages (such as root-zone soil moisture and pre-storm total water storage anomalies), pre-storm river discharge, and pre-storm snow water equivalent. {O}verall, these correlations depend on the class. {P}oor correlations are found against antecedent precipitation index despite its wide use in the hydrological community. {S}easonal and interannual climate variability exert a key role on the coupling strength between runoff coefficient and pre-storm conditions by inducing sharp changes in the correlation with season and climate. {T}hese results increase our understanding of the coupling between pre-storm conditions and runoff coefficients. {T}his will aid flood forecasting, hydrological and land surface model calibration, and data assimilation. {F}urthermore, these findings can help us to better interpret future flood projections in {E}urope based on expected changes in long and short-term climatic drivers.},
  keywords = {{F}loods ; {R}unoff coefficient ; {P}recipitation ; {EUROPE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {H}ydrology},
  volume = {625},
  numero = {{B}},
  pages = {130012 [18 p.]},
  ISSN = {0022-1694},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130012},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010090325},
}