Thema: Outrageous hypotheses in hydrology

11th Symposium | 20th April, 2024

Speaker stands in front of audience at the Vienna Catchment Science Symposium 2024 in the "Kuppelsaal" of the TU Wien.

© Miriam Bertola

One of the findings of the Unsolved Problems in Hydrology (UPH) initiative of IAHS, EGU-HS, AGU-HS and the IAH was the need for more discovery science and outrageous hypotheses in hydrology.

In 1926, geologist William Davis exhorted his fellow scientists thus: 'Our younger members may perhaps experience a feeling of disappointment, or even of discouragement at the unanimity with which the conclusions of an elder are received by a geological audience. But to make progress, violence must be done to many of our accepted principles'.

In this spirit, the aim of this symposium is to discuss new, controversial ideas about how the water cycle works to stimulate more high-risk/high-gain initiatives in hydrology.

Programme

Time Sessions Location
08:30 Tee, Kaffee, Kuchen und Begrüßung 3rd Floor Foyer
08:45 Begrüßung und Einleitung
Günter Blöschl, Technische Universität Wien, Österreich		 Kuppelsaal
09:00 Outrageous hypothesis: Subsurface nitrogen legacies are real and delay water quality improvement
Nandita Basu, University of Waterloo, Canada		 Kuppelsaal
10:20 Tea and coffee 3rd Floor Foyer
11:10 Outrageous hypothesis: More runoff with less rain
Gil Mahé, IRD, HydroSciences Montpellier, France		 Kuppelsaal
12:30 Lunch 3rd Floor Foyer
14:00 Small group discussion sessions
Group 1: A compilation of outrageous hypotheses in hydrology
Aim: to brainstorm what processes and phenomena would lend themselves to novel hypotheses and what hypotheses should be addressed
Moderatorin: Nandita Basu		 Kuppelsaal
  Group 2: Methods for testing outrageous hypotheses in hydrology
Aim: to brainstorm the methods (data, models, frameworks) required to explore outrageous hypotheses at all scales, including regional scales
Moderator: Ross Woods		 4th floor
Seminar room Kuppel
16:00 Tea and Coffee 3rd Floor Foyer
16:30 Plenary: Exchange of group findings Kuppelsaal
17:00 Evening drinks reception followed by dinner 3rd Floor Foyer