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The following is a description of GloFAS v4.01, which is available as pre-release on the GloFAS Stage Platform from 05 July 2023. The full operational GloFAS v4.0 will be released soonfully operational GloFAS from 28 February 2024.

For an overview of other GloFAS releases, please see : GloFAS versioning system.

Summary

GloFAS v4.0 introduces a number of major 1 introduces several minor 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 1996 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.
• new flood hazard maps, generated using LISFLOOD-FP.

• Increased offering of forecast variables made available through the Climate Data Store. See Model Output page for details. The data will also be made available for the reanalysis: 
  • Runoff Water Equivalent (surface plus subsurface),
  • Snow Depth Water Equivalent,
  • and Soil Wetness Index (root-zone).
• Improved reporting point layer, with additional metadata available for 'dynamic reporting points'. 
• Improved information on the GloFAS map viewer (updated legends and layer titles). 
• GloFAS Flood thresholds available for various return periods, see Auxiliary Data pages for GloFAS v4.0 flood threshold files.

This upgrade of GloFAS has large no 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