Java for Hydrologists and Geoscientists (JfHG)

Java for Hydrologists and Geoscientists (JfH) 

Course description

This intensive course introduces Java programming with a strong focus on hydrological and geospatial applications. Participants will learn how to set up a professional Java development environment, manage projects with Maven and Git, and progressively build environmental models using the GEOframe ecosystem, HortonMachine and GeoTools. By the end of the course, attendees will be able to design, implement, test, and run custom geospatial and environmental models in Java. Testing different modelling solutions is also presented.

• Duration: 64 hours (32 hours of instructor-led lectures + 32 hours of supervised student work)

• Level: Introductory to Intermediate

• Target audience: PhD students, Post-Docs, Researchers in hydrology; Hydrologists, geoscientists, environmental engineers and researchers who want to develop scientific and geospatial models in Java.

• Lectures: Andrea Antonello, Giuseppe Formetta, and Riccardo Rigon

Course Learning objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: 

• Set up and manage a Java development environment for scientific applications

• Understand and apply core Java programming concepts

• Read, process and analyse environmental and geospatial datasets

• Use mathematical libraries in Java

• Perform basic raster and vector spatial operations

• Integrate HortonMachine modules within GEOframe projects

• Develop and run a custom GEOframe environmental model

• Test different modelling solutions and evaluate their effects on hydrological variables

Prerequisites

• Basic familiarity with hydrology or geosciences

• Minimum experience using GIS software (e.g. QGIS), including basic handling of raster and vector data

• No prior Java programming experience required (basic programming knowledge is beneficial)

Teaching approach

The course is designed to be highly practical and hands-on, including its theoretical components. Concepts are introduced through concrete examples and immediately applied in guided exercises, so that participants learn theory by directly implementing and experimenting with it in code. Short lectures are tightly integrated with practice, ensuring that every topic is reinforced through real-world hydrological and geospatial use cases. Participants spend the majority of the course actively developing, testing, and running Java and GEOframe modules.

EGU2026: Introducing GEOtop and GEOframe

Mountains store water as snow. Understanding when and how much of that snow melts is critical for millions of people downstream for drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and flood forecasting. Yet modelling snow in complex terrain remains one of the hardest problems in hydrology.

The course is designed for researchers, PhD students, and practitioners who want to start using physically-based hydrological models but find the setup and compilation process daunting. We walk you through everything from installation to interpreting your first simulation results.

00 - Introduction to the short course

01 - General introduction to the hydrological modelling on mountain catchment

02 - General introduction on GEOframe: Part a and Part b

03 - GEOframe application

04 - General introduction on GEOtop

05 - GEOtop application

06 -  Questions/Asnwers

GEOframe Modeling System Installation

The steps to install the GEOframe modelling system are presented in the slides available here: SLIDES.

They include: 

• Anaconda installation
• geoframe_vincennes environment installation
• Testing of GEOframe specific Jupyter notebooks
• Execution of the Object Modeling System Console 

The softwares, python .yml file, console executables and Jupyter notebooks are available to the following link: SOFTWARES

GEOframe Winter School 2026 – Calibration - 09012025

 

 Dear GEOframe winter school 2025 attendees, here you can find the material for calibration of the rainfall-runoff model.

GEOframe winter school 2026: Day-5, 08-01-2026

 Dear GEOframe winter school 2026 attendees,  

here you can find the class material for the day 5: 08-01-2026:

• Rainfall-Runoff Modelling: 
• Theory  
• Practice

GEOframe winter school 2026: Day-4, 07-01-2026

 Dear GEOframe winter school 2026 attendees,  

here you can find the class material for the day 4: 07-01-2026:

Morning section:  

• Radiation and Evapotranspiration Practice: download the material to this link

Afternoon section: 

• Radiation and Evapotranspiration Theory: download the material:
• 14.0-Definizioni&Leggi
• 14.1b-Clausius-Clapeyron law
• 14.2-TurbulentTransportofMomentumAndWaterVapor
• 14.7b-SO_ET_Long
• 14.7cPMSO-simplifications
• ET in depth: for more details on theory and models

For people attending in presence, We will meet at the Department of Civil, environmental and mechanical engineering via Mesiano, 77 38123 Trento, in room H1.

For people attending online, you can find the zoom link here:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://unitn.zoom.us/j/5206841898

Meeting ID: 520 684 1898

Passcode: 287970

Further resources on Evapotranspiration following the link. 

Information for PhD and Postdoc Applicants

Dear Prospective Candidates,

This communication provides important information about our PhD and Postdoc positions. For additional context, you may find our blog posts on this topic helpful (here for Ph.D., here for Post docs).

Research Environment

Our group maintains active collaborations with leading research institutions across Europe, the United States and India, ensuring our work has genuine international scope and impact. We expect our team members to contribute to high-impact publications in top-tier journals.

Our research has direct applications in major Italian watersheds, particularly the Po and Adige river basins. This real-world focus creates valuable connections with water management agencies, environmental consultancies, and technology companies, opening diverse career pathways beyond academia.

Working with us means joining a dynamic international network where fundamental research meets practical implementation, providing excellent preparation for careers in both academic and professional settings.

Our research directly serves major Italian watersheds, particularly the Po and Adige river basins, through partnerships with water management agencies, environmental consultancies, and technology companies but global applications can be envisioned. 

The GEOframe system is gaining widespread adoption, with implementations in significant projects by the Po River Basin Authority (AdbPo), the Province of Trento, and the Italian Ministry of Environment.

Compensation

Our compensation packages are competitive within the Italian academic context:

• PhD positions: €1,650/month net income (notably higher than most Italian PhD programs)

• Postdoc positions: €90,000-108,000/year gross salary, corresponding to €2,100-2,500/month net income including social security (values reported for postdocs are indicative subject to variation depending on the specific project and the applicant’s taxable income).

These salaries provide a comfortable standard of living in Trento and throughout Italy.

Technical Requirements

All positions require proficiency with the GEOframe system (GEOframe blog, Abouthydrology Blog).

For PhD candidates:

• Prior knowledge of GEOframe is not mandatory but highly advantageous

• Familiarity with our GEOframe Schools materials demonstrates initiative and is viewed favorably

• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R are required

For Postdoc candidates:

• Working knowledge of GEOframe (or GEOtop model) is strongly preferred

• Candidates without GEOframe experience should demonstrate concrete commitment to rapid skill acquisition

• Willing to acquire advanced programming capabilities in Java and Python are expected (Advanced knowledge in programming is highly evaluated, especially for Java) 

Distinguishing Qualifications

While we acknowledge standard competencies, the following skills set candidates apart:

Particularly valued:

• Java programming proficiency

• Experience with Java ecosystem tools (GeoTools, Maven, Gradle, Eclipse)

• Ability to integrate Earth Observation data and Machine Learning techniques specifically within GEOframe workflows

• Demonstrated capability to extend and contribute to the GEOframe architecture

Noted but not distinguishing:

• Standard hydrological modeling tools (HEC-RAS, SWAT+)

• Generic Earth Observation experience

• Basic Machine Learning knowledge

Application Process

Given the widespread use of AI tools in application preparation, shortlisted candidates should expect technical interviews to assess their actual competencies and problem-solving abilities.

We encourage candidates who align with our technical focus and research philosophy to apply. If you are interested do not hesitate to contact us.

Riccardo Rigon

Giuseppe Formetta

P.S. - Take time to read also here.