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This The following is a description of GloFAS v4.0, available as pre-release on the GloFAS Stage Platform from 05 July 2023 and fully operational GloFAS from 26 July 2023.

the latest operational release of GloFAS v3.3. For an overview of other GloFAS releases, please see : GloFAS versioning system.

Summary

GloFAS version 3.3 is associated with a change in ECMWF IT infrastructure and the necessary modifications to a number of software. Here is a summary of the main changes:

1. New version of LISFLOOD

LISFLOOD version 3.2.0 is used in this GloFAS release. It includes important developments, such as:

• enhanced code capability to handle inputs;
• new netCDF readers based on xarray that allow for more flexibility and efficiency, dramatically decreasing the time required to load large inputs thus leading to improved computational performances;
• extensive use of unit tests to verify the functioning of the model and enhance collaborative development of the code;
• improvements of the management of latitude and longitude grids to allow maximum precision of the reference system;
• porting of the code to python3.

The modelling of the hydrological processes has not changed compared to the version of the model used in the previous GloFAS release.

For more information, please visit the dedicated GitHub space: https://github.com/ec-jrc/lisflood-code/releases

2. Enhancement of the web reporting points layer

• Introducing over 400 new river stations (grey symbols, for monitoring the hydrological forecast) in the reporting point layer
  • 279 in Africa
    • 45 in Mozambique, 29 in Cote d'Ivoire, 23 in Togo, 22 in Guinea, 19 in Cameroon, 16 in Chad, 14 in Namibia, 11 in Benin and Nigeria, 10 in Sudan and Zambia, 9 in Republic of Congo, 7 in Malawi and Rwanda, 6 in Senegal and Tanzania, 5 in Burkina Faso and Mali, 4 in Gabon and South Africa, 3 in Congo and Guinea Bissau, 2 in Algeria, Morocco and Zimbabwe and finally 1 new station in Botswana, Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Lesotho
  • 73 in Central America
    • 64 In Guatemala and 9 in Honduras
  • 65 in South America
    • all 65 in Argentina
  • 28 in Asia
    • 23 in China and 5 in Bangladesh

Technical details

v4.0 introduces a number of major changes to the system, including:

• higher spatial resolution. GloFAS v4.0 has 0.05 degrees resolution (~5km), as opposed to all the previous GloFAS versions having 0.1 degrees resolution (~10km).
• an entirely new set of 0.05 degrees resolution input maps produced using the most recent research findings, remote sensing, and in-situ datasets.
• major improvements to the open-source hydrological model LISFLOOD.
• a new hydrological model calibration at 1995 in-situ gauging stations. Furthermore, a parameter regionalisation was performed to estimate the parameters of catchments for which in situ discharge observations were not available.
• new return period thresholds and snow water/soil moisture anomaly maps based on a climatology from 1980 – 2022. The GloFAS v4 river discharge climatology is available at the C3S Climate Data Store.
• updated GloFAS Seasonal forecasts using the newly calibrated, higher resolution hydrological model.
• Increased spatial resolution from 1km to ~90m (3 arc secs) for the flood hazard maps used in the GloFAS rapid flood mapping and impact assessment

This major version change is associated with an update of the historical hydrological reanalysis. 

This upgrade of GloFAS has large impacts on the GloFAS modelling results.

31 stations were also added to the reporting point: 9 stations in Canada, 7 stations in Russia, 4 stations in Finland, 3 stations in Argentina and 1 station in each of Brazil, United States, Morocco, Benin, Uganda, Thailand, Columbia and South Africa.

Technical details