Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 3 2 2006 10.5194/bg-3-229-2006 http://www.biogeosciences.net/3/229/2006/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/3/229/2006/bg-3-229-2006.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/3/229/2006/bg-3-229-2006.pdf 229 241 2006-05-17 Land-surface modelling in hydrological perspective – a review J. Overgaard D. Rosbjerg M. B. Butts Institute of Environment & Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Building 115, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark DHI Water & Environment, Agern All´e 5, DK-2970 Hørsholm, Denmark The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the different types of energy-based land-surface models (LSMs) and discuss some of the new possibilities that will arise when energy-based LSMs are combined with distributed hydrological modelling. We choose to focus on energy-based approaches, because in comparison to the traditional potential evapotranspiration models, these approaches allow for a stronger link to remote sensing and atmospheric modelling. New opportunities for evaluation of distributed land-surface models through application of remote sensing are discussed in detail, and the difficulties inherent in various evaluation procedures are presented. Finally, the dynamic coupling of hydrological and atmospheric models is explored, and the perspectives of such efforts are discussed.