Ralf Merz

Prof. Dr. Ralf Merz serves as Head of the Department of Catchment Hydrology at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and holds a Full Professorship in Catchment Hydrology at Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg since 2011. His career bridges hydrological modeling, flood risk assessment, and water quality analysis across diverse climates from Central Asia to Europe.

• MSc in Civil Engineering (Technical University of Karlsruhe, 1997)
• PhD in Hydrology (Vienna University of Technology, 2002)
• Habilitation in Hydrology (Vienna University of Technology, 2009)

Research Interests span comparative hydrology, flood generation mechanisms, climate change impacts on water resources, and nitrate dynamics in river systems. His work emphasizes process-based understanding of runoff events and regional flood modeling through innovative approaches like the PHEV distribution framework.

Scientific Contributions include over 100 publications (2003-2025) on:

• Flood frequency analysis in changing climates
• Groundwater recharge in arid regions
• Hydrochemical response to droughts
• Remote sensing applications for groundwater studies
• Multi-response calibration of hydrological models

Key projects involve MOSES observatory development, TRACER research school, and Pamir Mountains glaciological studies.

Recognitions:

• APART research grant (Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2006)

Leadership extends to directing the Catchment Hydrology department and participating in European hydrological networks like the Bode Hydrological Observatory and TERENO infrastructure. His methodological advancements include flood time-scale analysis and event runoff coefficient regionalization.