Abstract
Hydrology has a long history due to its early origin, but it is still
considered young due to lack of a solid scientific foundation as a
natural science. To lay a solid foundation of hydrology, field
experimentation is crucial for investigating hydrological processes and
revealing hydrological mechanisms. Professor Wei-Zu Gu (1932–2022) was
an internationally renowned scientist in the field of hydrology and is
recognized as the greatest pioneer of experimental hydrology and isotope
hydrology in China. He created the Hydrohill experimental catchment,
which serves as both a great public works for experimental hydrology and
a valuable legacy for future researchers to conduct hydrological
experiments. This legacy represents an innovative infrastructure that
bridges the gap between natural watershed experiments and artificial
physical models. The Hydrohill is an intensively-instrumented
experimental catchment, allowing for comprehensive measurement of
elements of the hydrologic cycle and their tracing indicators in a
sophisticated manner. To provide an in-depth understanding of the
Hydrohill, this paper presents its short history, experimental
objectives, site description (including location, construction, and
instrumentation), site conditions (such as soil, hydrological and
meteorological properties), and contributions to hydrologic science. We
pay our respects to Professor Gu for his hard work in creating the
Hydrohill for experimental hydrology and enhancing our understanding of
hydrological processes and mechanisms. Finally, we hope that with
healthy operation at Chuzhou Scientific Hydrology Laboratory (CSHL)
along with support from Professor Gu’s friends, CSHL will enable the
continued growth of the Hydrohill so that it can address some unsolved
problems in hydrology.