Department Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and Modelling

This research group focuses on hydrology and water quality modeling at the catchment scale. Its general aim is to develop the theoretical framework and the practical tools to inform model decisions and develop targeted model applications. These instruments are used to investigate catchment behaviour and improve predictions.

We focus on three parallel research directions.

The first direction consists in building a modelling platform that allows full flexibility in the development of conceptual models of flow and transport processes. This research includes the further development of the SUPERFLEX modelling framework.

The second direction consists in developing approaches that aid the process of model building and selection. We research how to determine appropriate models for specific applications accounting for aspects such as the system characteristics, the data availability, the spatial and temporal scales, and the modelling objectives.

The third direction is to investigate catchment behaviour at various scales and using various sources of data. We target case studies from regional river basins (e.g. the Rhine) to small headwater catchments (e.g. Swiss headwaters), focusing both on water flow and on transport processes.