The terrestrial water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water in the hydrosphere, i.e., the total water at, above, and below Earth's surface. It is composed of the influx (precipitation, i.e., rain and snowfall), outflux (evaporation, i.e., snow sublimation, soil and canopy water evaporation, open-water evaporation, plant transpiration; and runoff, i.e., surface and subsurface flow), and the change in the storage on (lakes, snowpacks, etc.) and in (groundwater, soil moisture) the landmass. The convoluted impacts of natural (e.g., climate variability) and anthropogenic (i.e., human interventions) stressors have altered the water cycle across the local, regional, and global scales. Accurate monitoring of various hydrological cycle components is, therefore, pivotal for improving our understanding of hydrological processes. Owing to the inherent limitations of the traditional methods for mapping these variables, recent developments in remote sensing and modeling approaches offer enhanced monitoring at required spatiotemporal scales and complement the former.

The scope of this session is to create an interdisciplinary forum by providing a common platform for researchers from academia, industry, and the government belonging to wide geographic diversity to discuss recent scientific results related to but not limited to:
1) Quantification of the water cycle and water storage components by satellite missions (e.g., GRACE, SMAP, GNSS-R, SMOS, Sentinel-1/2), retrieval methods (e.g., machine learning and data assimilation techniques), and sensors (e.g., optical, infrared, microwave);
2) Surface water and groundwater processes, their interaction, modeling, allocation, governance, and management strategies;
3) Attribution of the interconnected impacts of climate change and human activities on the quantity and quality of water resources and modulation of water extremes (i.e., floods and droughts).