ISMC – GEWEX SoilWat Meeting

Jul 14 - 16, 2025 | University of Reading

Campus Map (Building 3, section D4)

Time Zone: British Summer Time (GMT/UTC + 1:00)
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Monday 14 July
Location: JJ Thomson building, Slingo Lecture Theatre, Whiteknights Campus

TimePresentation TitlePresenter
Session 1: Scene setting and meeting goals (Chair: Nate Chaney)
09:30–10:00RegistrationAll
10:00–10:45Welcome, Introductions, Goals for the meetingAnne Verhoef, Yijian Zeng, Attila Nemes, Lutz Weihermueller
10:45–11:00Recent ISMC efforts towards improved coupled atmospheric-terrestrial water and biogeochemical cyclesMartine van der Ploeg
11:00–11:20Break (foyer Slingo theatre)
11:20–12:00Land model needs for improved soil modelling and parameterisationEleanor Blyth, Martin Best, John Edwards, Souhail Bousetta, Nina Raoult, Filip Kialka, Agnès Ducharne
12:00–13:00Group Discussion Session 1Moderators: Nate Chaney/Anne Verhoef; Note-takers: Filip Kialka, Yijian Zeng
13:00–14:00Lunch (Sorby room in Wager building)
Session 2: Soil parameter (dynamics) and current ways of parameter determination
(Chair: Nunzio Romano)
14:00–14:30Soil Parameter Model Intercomparison Project (SP-MIP): soil evaporation and surface runoff are most affected by soil parametersMatthias Cuntz
14:30–14:45The importance of accurate soil texture estimates in soil modellingAttila Nemes
14:45–15:15Pedotransfer functions, methodologies, pitfalls and ways forwardTobias Weber, Lutz Weihermueller
15:15–15:35Break (foyer Slingo theatre)
15:35–16:05Modelling of soil structure and dynamic soil properties Nick Jarvis
16:05–16:20On the role of topographic complexity and small-scale soil biophysical features in catchment-scale ecohydrological processesTaiqi Lian
16:20–17:30Group Discussion Session 2Moderators: Martine Van der Ploeg & Yijian Zeng
Note-takers: Tobias Weber, Matthias Cuntz, Toby Marthews
19:00Group Dinner (House of Flavours, 32-36 Kings Road, Reading RG1 3AA)

Tuesday 15 July
Location: JJ Thomson building, Slingo Lecture Theatre, Whiteknights Campus

TimePresentation TitlePresenter
Session 3_AM: The soil-plant-hydraulic-energetic continuum (Chair: Lutz Weihermueller)
08:45–08:50Housekeeping; Plans for Day 2 Anne Verhoef & Yijian Zeng
08:50–09:05How to improve our understanding and model capability of drylands and deserts?Nurit Agam
09:05–09:35Soil heat flux and its role in the energy balanceIsaac Towers (Online))
09:35–10:00Coupled soil hydro-thermal theories that cover the entire soil wetness rangeJosh Heitman (Online)
10:00–10:20Break (foyer Slingo theatre)
10:20–10:50Towards determination of global unified hydro-thermal parameter-setsRajsekhar Kandala & Surya Gupta
10:50–11:10Mechanistic soil evaporation modelling suitable for land modelsYunquan Wang (Online)
11:10–11:40Thirsty Soils: Insights into Nocturnal Water Uptake by Dry Soils Using a Global Eddy Covariance Observation NetworkSinikka Paulus
11:40–12:45Group Discussion Session3_AMModerators: Lutz Weihermueller, John Edwards
Note-takers: Sinikka Paulus, Raj Kandala, Xuelong Chen
12:45–13:45Lunch (Sorby room in Wager building)
Session 3_PM: The soil-plant-hydraulic-energetic continuum (Chair Shijie Jiang)
13:45–14:15Mechanistic modelling of root-water uptake across scales for improved transpiration estimates in land modelsJan Vanderborght
14:15–14:45Challenges in modelling root-soil interactions and linking to ecosystem functionManon Sabot & Andrea Carminati
14:45–15:05Can we link mechanistically in-situ measured Soil Water Potential to remotely sensed Solar-Induced Fluorescence?Yijian Zeng
15:05–15:35Group Discussion Session 3_PMModerators: Shijie Jiang
Note-takers: Manon Sabot, Jan Vanderborght
15:35–15:40Update from the GEWEX International Project OfficePeter van Oevelen (Online)
15:40–16:00Break (foyer Slingo theatre)
Session 4: Moving across scales; implications and opportunities for parameterisation
(Chair Eleanor Blyth)
16:00–16:30The importance of soil and land-scape heterogeneity in land-atmosphere interactionsNate Chaney
16:30–17:00The role of AI & Hybrid approaches for improved soil modelling/parameters in Land modelsNina Raoult & Souhail Boussetta
17:00–17:15Inference of root zone active water storage with hybrid modellingShijie Jiang
17:15–17:45Group Discussion Session 4Moderators: Eleaonor Blyth
Note-takers: Nina Raoult, Shijie Jiang
17:45–18:30Preparation of summaries by moderators & note-takers for Wednesday AMModerators & Note-takers

Wednesday 15 July
Location: JJ Thomson building, Slingo Lecture Theatre, Whiteknights Campus

TimePresentation TitlePresenter
Session 5: Ways forward and proposed collaborative efforts (Chair: Attila Nemes)
08:55–09:00HousekeepingAnne Verhoef
09:00–10:10Summary of sessions (4 x 15 mins + questions)Session moderators & note-takers
10:10–10:30Break (foyer Slingo theatre)
10:30–11:30Discussion on Position Paper derived from workshop slides and summary of sessions Moderators: Anne Verhoef & Yijian Zeng
Note-takers: Martin Best, Nick Jarvis
11:30–12:30Discussion on emerging follow-on activities (e.g. MIPs or generation of soil ancillary datasets)Moderators: Anne Verhoef & Yijian Zeng
Note-takers: Raj Kandala, Souhail Boussetta
12:30–13:30Lunch (Sorby room in Wager building)

Summary of Key Roles

SessionDayChairsDiscussion
Moderators
Discussion
Note-takers
Session 1Monday AMNate ChaneyNate Chaney
Anne Verhoef
Filip Kialka
Yijian Zeng
Session 2Monday PMNunzio RomanoMartine v.d. Ploeg
Yijian Zeng
Tobias Weber
Matthias Cuntz
Toby Marthews
Session 3_AMTuesday AMLutz WeihermuellerLutz Weihermueller
John Edwards
Sinikka Paulus
Raj Kandala
Xuelong Chen
Session 3_PMTuesday PMShijie JiangShiijie JiangManon Sabot
Jan Vanderborght
Session 4Tuesday PMEleanor BlythEleanor BlythNina Raoult
Shijie Jiang
Session 5 – Disc. 1
Postion Paper
Wednesday AMAttila NemesAnne Verhoef
Yijian Zeng
Martin Best
Nick Jarvis
Session 5 – Disc. 2
Emerging Activities
Wednesday AMAttila NemesAnne Verhoef
Yijian Zeng
Raj Kandala
Souhail Boussetta