Luxembourg
Dr. habil. Laurent Pfister The Catchment and eco-hydrology (CAT) research group: Our research focuses at fundamental hydrological functions of catchments: water collection, storage, mixing and release. Since the mid-1990s we have implemented a nested catchment set-up, covering a wide range of physiographic configurations (i.e. different types of landuse, soil types, bedrock geology, etc) and scales in the Alzette river basin. We rely on a comprehensive set of techniques and protocols (e.g. stable isotopes, hydrochemical tracers, remote sensing) for studying water sources, flow paths and transit times. With a view to overcome limitations of conventional tools and tracers, we explore new avenues in experimental hydrology: using biological tracers for detecting the onset/cessation of rapid surface and sub-surface flow paths during rainfall events, mapping saturated area dynamics with thermal infrared imagery, developing a portable and field-deployable mass spectrometer for continuous measurements of stable isotopes of O and H in water, etc.
Both as a project leader and researcher, I have been involved in more than 25 applied and fundamental research projects. With my own research interests focusing on experimental hydrology, I have actively contributed to explore new research avenues based on novel observation techniques (e.g. thermal infrared imagery, portable mass-spectrometer) and hydro-ecological investigations (e.g. tracing surface runoff processes via terrestrial diatoms). Over the past 10 years, I have been involved in the organisation of international conferences in Luxembourg (e.g. EGU Leonardo topical conference series on the hydrological cycle) and Europe (e.g. session convener at EGU General Assemblies). I am acting as associate editor for the Hydrology and Earth System Sciences journal, and I have been sollicited for reviewing papers to scientific journals such as Climatic Change, Hydrological Sciences Journal, Hydrological Processes, Journal of Hydrology, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Water Resources Research, or Water Resources Management. To date, I have published both as first author and co-author 114 papers in peer-reviewed journals. I have been involved in the publication of 17 books and book chapters.