Rens Van Beek
Assistant professor
Hydrology and Earth Surface
Universidad de La Rioja
Spain
Biography
Rens van Beek (1969) received his MSc in Physical Geography from Utrecht University in 1993 and his PhD in Physical Geography from Utrecht University in 2002. Prior to attaining his current position in 2007, he worked as research assistant and post-doctoral researcher at Coventry University, University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University. Rens van Beek’s field of expertise are unsaturated one hydrology, land degradation and soil mechanics with particular emphasis on the effects of vegetation on slope stability. He is developed the first version of the large-scale hydrological model PCR-GLOBWB and is closely involved in its further development as well as research that uses this model and in relation to climate variability and change, the transport of nutrients in river systems, global flooding and wetland dynamics. Recent work involves the development of the meso-scale landscape evolution model CALEROS that also involves human impacts on landscape development. Rens van Beek (co-)authored over 50 journal papers and the book “Slope Stability and Erosion Control: Ecotechnological Solutions (2008).
Research Interest
Land Surface Hydrology, Land Degradation
Publications
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Van Beek, L.P.H., J. Wint, L.H. Cammeraat et al. (2005), Observation and simulation of root reinforcement on abandoned mediterranean slopes. Plant and Soil 278(1-2), pp.55-74.
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Van Beek, L. P. H., Y. Wada, and M. F. P. Bierkens (2011), Global monthly water stress: 1. Water balance and water availability, Water Resour. Res., 47, W07517,
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Van Beek, L.P.H., T. Eikelboom, M.T.H. van Vliet et al. (2012), A physically based model of global freshwater surface temperature. Water Resources Research 48(9), pp.W09530
