Ba et al FIGURE 1. Workflow of big data analysis. The workflow is a process that follows a certain direction (the orientation of arrow is important). 1-Scientific questions are the starting point to process big data analysis. 2-Preanalytical processes that include the recruitment, the collect, and the storage of data. The large amount of data potentially available warrants QC methods that ensure data integrity. 3-Downstream analysis processes and the right interpretation of the results, that is, which question can be answered with our results and possibly which application can be made. QC, quality control.

<p>The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Data-processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS) is an international network of global, regional, and national centres that make meteorological analysis and forecast products operationally available. GDPFS has strengthened the capabilities of countries to meet the needs of users by sharing Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) products and services related to operational meteorology, climate, and application fields in all timescales.</p> <p>Advances in supercomputing and science over the last decade have furthered environmental predictions and probabilistic forecasts. Larger ensembles of NWP with increased horizontal and vertical resolutions are generated across all time scales. These developments clearly indicate the potential to evolve GDPFS to the WMO Integrated Processing and Prediction System (WIPPS) from its current form to a seamless platform, covering predictions for all time scales from minutes to centuries and encapsulating everything known about the Earth system which involves the atmosphere, ocean, hydrosphere, and cryosphere, along with all the interconnections and feedbacks among them.</p> <p>As part of the Earth system approach, a few activities relevant to marine meteorology and oceanography have been already developed.  Further expanding the area of WIPPS, following hydrological activities are being established:</p> <ul> <li>Sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) hydrological predictions</li> <li>Snow cover predictions</li> <li>Flash flood forecasting</li> </ul> <p>The authors will present the draft idea of the concept and the expected benefits of bridging the gap between operational meteorological and hydrology as part of an integrated processing and prediction system and show the ways on how experts can contribute to the evolution of WIPPS under the framework of WMO. Hydrological and meteorological communities can benefit significantly from the improved coupling between the NWP and hydrological models as for example the predicted precipitation reflecting realistic soil moisture contributes to predicting more accurate soil moisture and discharge. This is especially the case for short time scales (flash floods), S2S times scales as well as for snow cover considering nonstationary boundary conditions through a changing climate. Through its thematic focus on weather, water and climate and the strengths of centres of WMO Members to run operational prediction system, WIPPS offers the possibility to bridge the gap of operational services/systems between meteorology, hydrology and climatology and provides the opportunity for researchers to collaborate with operational practitioners and National Meteorological and Hydrology Services (NMHS). Questions like, what are the needs of scientists and practitioners, what are the bottlenecks, what are the best ways of collaboration and how can WMO develop the framework for a transdisciplinary effort to improve operational Earth system prediction systems for meteorology, climatology, and hydrology, can be discussed during the session to accelerate future cooperation.</p> <p> </p>

<p>Vegetation is the primary connection between land and atmosphere, thus the main player mediating the consequences of a changing climate on land cover and hydrology. A protected alpine catchment, with a larch grove (<em>Larix decidua</em>) at the upper limit of the forested area, the Vallon de Nant (Vaud alps, 1200 – 3050 m. a.s.l.), was chosen as a study site in parallel with ongoing hydrological observation. We analyzed the stable isotopes of water, δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H, in the xylem extracted from samples of 10 trees in 2 transects just above and below 1500 m. a.s.l. over the course of the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons.  We compared isotopic ratios withconcurrent observations of isotopes in precipitation, stream, soil water, and groundwater.  Isotopic content of xylem water was found to be fairly consistent, independent of the date within the season, and closely resembled shallow soil water, suggesting that recent precipitation dominated the water source.   Our results support that vegetation could experience a drought due to low levels of rainfall before the streamflow is impacted. Furthermore, they affirm current discussions that water source is elevation dependent for trees in mountain ecosystems, with summer precipitation being favored by higher elevation trees, such as these. This preference has significant implications when we project current changes of quantities of rain falling as snow versus rain in the future. And more importantly, changes the view of forest from that of a water “user” to that of a store and player in complex feedback mechanisms.</p>