Mountain snowmelt and its importance for catchment storage and runoff (MountSnow)

The objectives of the proposed project are 1) to investigate the importance of snowmelt, compared to rainfall, in generating runoff, 2) to quantify how long into the year snowmelt continues to affect runoff, 3) to quantify groundwater recharge, catchment storage and their relation to snow storage and catchment attributes, and 4) to investigate how future changes in snow might affect catchment storage considering different climate projections. The project will help to understand how snowmelt is partitioned between soil storage, groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration, and runoff which is important for future water availability. The project is an international project of Charles University and the University of Zurich.

  • Principal investigator: Michal Jeníček, Jan Seibert (University of Zurich)
  • Funding: Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
  • Duration: 2023-2026
  • Grant number: GAČR 23-06859K

Hydrological and hydrochemical responses of montane peat bogs to climate change

The research project aims to bring new findings on the response of montane peat bogs to climate change. Using the advanced field and laboratory methods it analyzes the changes in hydrological regime, hydrochemistry, runoff contribution from different zones, and simulates the effects of climate changes.

  • Principal investigator: Jakub Langhammer
  • Funding: Czech Science Foundation
  • Duration: 2022-2024
  • Grant number: GAČR 22-12837S

Insect induced tree mortality under climate change – Impacts on hydrology and geochemistry across scales

Increased frequency and severity of insect outbreaks under conditions of climate change extensively disturbs forests of the mid-latitudes. Under climate warming, there are imminent risks of movements northward and towards higher elevations of forest-damaging insect species. Through previous work, we have continuously collected and analyzed extensive and unique observation data on the environmental impacts of bark beetle infestation in the Czech mountains, which will constitute a cornerstone in this project. Through the synthesis of existing data, along with climate gradients from south to north and from low altitudes to high altitudes, the impacts of insect-induced tree mortality on hydrologic dynamics and geochemical conditions under increased pressures of climate change across different spatiotemporal scales in Europe will be addressed in this study, which is of relevance for water resources and ecosystem resilience.

  • Principal investigator: Ye Su
  • Funding: Czech Science Foundation
  • Duration: 2022-2025
  • Grant number: GAČR 22-20422O

Natural and Anthropogenic Georisks

The main research objective of this project is to understand natural and man-made threats, hazards, and risks in the Earth’s upper spheres, to explore their causes and to quantify their potential impacts on human society and infrastructures. Both natural and anthropogenic geohazards are inherently very complex processes and require a high degree of interdisciplinarity within the natural sciences. Thus, the project should result not only in a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of these processes, but also in a proposal of tools for their better monitoring, possible minimization of their effects and prediction, including mitigation of their negative effects on human society.

  • Principal investigator: Vojtěch Ettler (Jan Tumajer)
  • Funding: Programme Johannes Amos Comenius
  • Duration: 2024-2028
  • Grant number: CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004605

Prediction, Evaluation and Research for Understanding National sensitivity and impacts of drought and climate change for Czechia (PERUN)

The PERUN project focuses on the research of climatic extremes, drought and the consequences of climate change in Czechia. The main objective of the project is to create a research centre that would focus on research in the field of climate change in the long term. This includes an analysis of the ongoing change and predicting future trends, including the identification of threats to the environment as well as to society. 

The project is guaranteed by the Czech Ministry of the Environment and carried out by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), the Czech Geological Survey, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics and Faculty of Science of the Charles University, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, CzechGlobe, TG Masaryk Water Research Institute and PROGEO Ltd.

  • Principal investigator: Radim Tolasz (CHMI)
  • Funding: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic 
  • Duration: 2020-2026
  • Grant number: TAČR SS02030040