We investigate the seasonal memory properties of a large sample of European rivers in terms of high and low flows. We compute seasonal correlations between peak and low flows and average flows in the previous seasons and explore the links with various physiographic and hydro-climatic catchment descriptors. Our findings suggest that there is a traceable physical basis for river memory which in turn can be employed to reduce uncertainty and improve probabilistic predictions of floods and droughts.

In Mediterranean regions, the spatiotemporal evolution of the snow cover can experiment quick changes and high frequency sensors are required to adequately monitor such shifts. This work presents a methodological approach to validate the improved MODIS daily snow cover maps, in a Sierra Nevada (southern Spain), from a reference data set obtained by Landsat TM data. The results show a significantly high correlation between the two snow map products at differents spatial scale.

Assuming that floods are driven by both short- (meteorological forcing) and long-term perturbations (higher-than-usual moisture), we propose a technique for updating a season in advance the flood frequency distribution. Its application in the Po and Danube rivers helped to reduce the uncertainty in the estimation of floods and thus constitutes a promising tool for real-time management of flood risk mitigation. This study is the result of the stay of the first author at the University of Bologna.

This study analyses the subgrid variability of the snow distribution in a Mediterranean region and formulates a parametric approach that includes these scale effects in the physical modelling of snow by means of accumulation–depletion curves associated with snow evolution patterns, by means of terrestrial photography. The results confirm that the use of these on a cell scale provides a solid foundation for the extension of point snow models to larger areas.

We present 7 years of field work and modelling to assess the importance of the loss of water from the snow by means of evaposublimation in the Mediterranean mountains of Sierra Nevada. The actual evaposublimation rates were detected through detailed measurement of the mass fluxes from the snow. These data have led to some improvements in the modelling of the snow dynamics in this kind of mountainous semiarid regions. Evaposublimation is estimated to range 24–33% of total annual snowfall.

Regulation by reservoirs affects both the freshwater regime and the sediment delivery downstream. Spain is one the countries with more water storage capacity by reservoirs in the world. The spatial redistribution of the seasonal and annual water storage in reservoirs mainly for irrigation and urban supply has resulted in significant environmental impacts downstream. This work shows these effects in the Guadalquivir and the Ebro River basins, two of the largest regulated areas in Spain.

This work shows the change on flood risk in the coastal areas of three hydrographic basins in South Spain during the reservoir expansion period. The results differentiate the impact of the regulation level on both the cumulative distribution functions of the fluvial discharge near the river mouth, and the associated damage related to the enhanced soil occupation during this period.

Sierra Nevada National Park (South Spain) constitute a key monitoring point for climate variability and its impacts. This work presents the local trend analysis of weather variables at this area together with additional snow-related variables. The joint analysis of weather and snow variables showed a decrease trend in the extent and persistence of the snow covered area over the area. The precipitation regime seems to be the most relevant driver on the snow regime forcing in Mediterranean areas.