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The COSMOS-UK observation network has been providing field-scale soil moisture and hydrometeorological measurements across the UK since 2013. At the time of publication a total of 51 COSMOS-UK sites have been established, each delivering high-temporal resolution data in near-real time. Each site utilizes a cosmic-ray neutron sensor, which counts epithermal neutrons at the land surface. These measurements are used to derive field-scale near-surface soil water content, which can provide unique insight for science, industry, and agriculture by filling a scale gap between localized point soil moisture and large-scale satellite soil moisture datasets. Additional soil physics and meteorological measurements are made by the COSMOS-UK network including precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, soil heat flux, wind speed and direction, and components of incoming and outgoing radiation. These near-real-time observational data can be used to improve the performance of hydrological models, validate remote sensing products, improve hydro-meteorological forecasting, and underpin applications across a range of other scientific fields. The most recent version of the COSMOS-UK dataset is publically available at 10.5285/b5c190e4-e35d-40ea-8fbe-598da03a1185 (Stanley et al., 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COSMOS-UK observation network has been providing field scale soil moisture and hydrometeorological measurements across the UK since 2013. At the time of publication a total of 51 COSMOS-UK sites have been established, each delivering high temporal resolution data in near-real time. Each site utilises a cosmic-ray neutron sensor, which counts fast neutrons at the land surface. These measurements are used to derive field scale near-surface soil water content, which can provide unique insight for science, industry, and agriculture by filling a scale gap between localised point soil moisture and large-scale satellite soil moisture datasets. Additional soil physics and meteorological measurements are made by the COSMOS-UK network including precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, soil heat flux, wind speed and direction, and components of incoming and outgoing radiation. These near-real time observational data can be used to improve the performance of hydrological models, validate remote sensing products, improve hydro-meteorological forecasting and underpin applications across a range of other scientific fields. The most recent version of the COSMOS-UK dataset is publically available at https://doi.org/10.5285/37702a54-b7a4-40ff-b62e-d14b161b69ca (Stanley et al., 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One achievement of the UK Land–Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS) was to link dynamic biogeochemical models of different domains, e.g. rivers, estuaries and coastal waters, and to use the linked model to investigate possible changes from the current status that might occur in the future, for example as the result of climate change. The Climate, Hydrochemistry and Economics of Surface-water Systems (CHESS) project has taken the LOIS methodology forward by exploring possible impacts of climate change on the water quality of European rivers, with the purpose of informing future catchment management. This was achieved by the application of a standard modelling framework to a set of five European catchments located in Finland (River Vantaa), United Kingdom (Yorkshire Ouse), Belgium (Dender), Italy (Enza) and Greece (Pinios). Baseline conditions were simulated using existing meteorological data from the period 1961–1990, and in all cases the modelling framework was able to reproduce key features of the flow and water quality regimes of the study catchments. The modelling framework comprised two models. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate water and chemical fluxes, primarily nutrients and sediment, generated from diffuse areas and thereby provide sub-catchment inputs to an in-stream water quality model, the Quality Evaluation and Simulation Tool for River Systems (QUESTOR). QUESTOR integrated the diffuse runoff along the channel network, together with point source discharges from industry and sewage treatment works, and water abstractions for public supply, industry and agriculture. The modelling framework has been used for the baseline conditions, along with a set of six climate scenarios. These comprised four scenarios derived from different general circulation models (GCMs) representing the 2050s, and three scenarios from the same GCM representing the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, with one scenario in both groups. Results have been explored using a range of measures to reflect the different stakeholder interests within and beyond the catchment. The results reflect the variability in present day conditions (e.g. climate, soils, agriculture and industry), and the variability in the climate scenarios, both between-catchment and between-scenario. Specific examples are: the loss of the spring snowmelt causing high flows on the Vantaa; a decrease in the already very low summer flows on the Pinios; and significant seasonal changes in nutrient losses, even though the annual change is small. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]