Auzon data paper

A high space-time resolution dataset linking meteorological forcing and hydro-sedimentary response in a mesoscale Mediterranean catchment (Auzon) of the Ardèche region, France is released. This dataset spans the period 1 January 2011-31 December 2014. Rainfall data include continuous precipitation measured by rain gauges (5 min time step for the research network of 21 rain gauges and 5 min or 1h time step for the operational network of 10 rain gauges), S-band Doppler dual-polarization radars (1 km², 5 min resolution), disdrometers (16 sensors working at 30s or 1 min time step) and Micro Rain Radars (5 sensors, 100 m height resolution). Additionally, during the special observation period (SOP-1) and enhanced observation period (Sep-Dec 2012, Sep-Dec 2013) of the HyMeX (Hydrological Cycle in the Mediterranean Experiment) project, two X-band radars provided precipitation measurements at very fine spatial and temporal scales (1 ha, 5 min). Meteorological data are taken from the operational surface weather observation stations of Météo-France (including 2-m air temperature, atmospheric pressure, 2-m relative humidity, 10-m wind speed and direction, global radiation) at the hourly time resolution (6 stations in the region of interest). The monitoring of surface hydrology and suspended sediment is multi-scale and based on nested catchments. Three hydrometric stations measure water discharge at a 2 to 10 min time resolution. Two of these stations also measure additional physico-chemical variables (turbidity, temperature, conductivity). Two experimental plots monitor overland flow and erosion at 1 min time resolution on a hillslope with vineyard. A network of 11 sensors installed in the intermittent hydrographic network continuously measures water level and water temperature in headwater subcatchments (from 0.17 km² to 116 km²) at a time resolution of 2-5 min. A network of soil moisture sensors enable the continuous measurement of soil volumetric water content at 20 min time resolution at 9 sites. Additionally, opportunistic observations (soil moisture measurements and stream gauging) were performed during floods between 2012 and 2014.<br />
<br />
Observing strategy: <br />
The dataset was produced to improve the understanding of the hydrological processes leading to flash floods and the relation between rainfall, runoff, erosion and sediment transport in a mesoscale catchment (Auzon, 116 km²) of the Mediterranean region. The data are particularly appropriate for understanding the rainfall variability in time and space at fine-scales, improving areal rainfall estimations and progressing in distributed hydrological and erosion modelling.