TempAqua Project: Eco-Hydrological Hotspots in Headwater Streams

This lecture presents the TempAqua project, focusing on the importance of headwater streams that flow only temporarily. The instructor discusses the scarcity of observational data in remote locations and the need to protect these hydrological systems. Data from the 2021 monitoring period in the Swiss pre-Alps are analyzed, showing the rapid increase in actively flowing channel length during rainfall events. Stable water isotopes are used to understand the sources of temporary streamflow, including soil, rainwater, and groundwater. The lecture also highlights the development of models to explain the formation of temporary streams, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.