Bruno Wilhelm

Associate Professor Univ. Grenoble Alpes

Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE)
Equipe ’HydroMeteorology, Climate et Interactions with Societies’ (HMCIS)

Office 219, Building Maison Climat Planète
70 rue de la physique
Domaine Universitaire
38400 Saint-Martin d’Hères - FRANCE
Mobile : +33 (0) 6.82.59.77.42
bruno.wilhelm univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Profile on Google Scholar
Profile on Research Gate

Academic Training

  • 2005 Bachelor Sc. Earth and Environmental Sciences - Univ. Savoie (France)
  • 2008 Master Sc. Geography - Univ. Savoie (France)
  • 2012 PhD Earth and Environmental Sciences - EDYTEM, Univ. Grenoble (France) Sedimentary records of hydrological extremes over the last millennium in the French Alps. Relations to climate changes

Appointments

  • 2008-2012 Research associate and teaching assistant - Edytem, Univ. Savoie (France)
  • 2012-2013 Associate Professor - Géoazur, U. Nice-Sophia-Antipolis (France)
  • 2013-2014 AXA Post-Doctoral fellow - Institute of Geological Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, Bern (Switzerland)
  • 2014- : Associate Professor - Univ. Grenoble Alpes (France)
    • Courses : Hydrology & Geosciences
    • Research : for a better understanding of the climate - flood relationships

Research

Research topics : (Palaeo) Hydrology and climatology, extreme events, natural hazard

What I’m doing and our key results are briefly explained in this short video (in french) :

Founder and co-leader of the PAGES ’Floods’ Working Group (2015-2021)

Co-convener of the following sessions :

(Co-)Organizer of the following workshops :

  • the FWG ’Cross Community Workshop on Past Flood Variability’ (June 27-30, 2016, Grenoble, F)
  • the Extremes IA workshop ’Climatic and hydrological extremes’ (Feb. 18-20, 2019, Koblenz, D)
  • the FWG workshop on ’Floods in a warmer world : insights from paleohydrology’ (Nov. 11-13, 2019, Geneva, CH)

Reviewer for >15 high-impact journals
Invited reviewer of IPCC WGI AR6 SOD (2020)

Media report and interview (all in french) : in September 2015 , September 2017 and May 2021

I also participated in "Art & Science" actions such as the show "Clairière de l’autre" presented in this teaser (in french) :

Research projects
2007-2008 : Project « Vorz » : Integrated study of the Vorz catchment area after the flood event of 22-23.08.2005
2008-2012 : Project ANR – PYGMALION : Paleohydrology and Human Climate Environment Interactions in the Alps
2009-2011 : Project PROCOPE : Monitoring of hydro-sedimentary processes in a high-altitude catchment (Lake Blanc, Belledonne, France)
2012-2013 : Project LABEX ITEM – WP1 CrHistAl : Historical Floods in the French Alps
2012-2015 : Project INEE (LIA) – GATES : Georgian Ancient Transcaucasia : Environments and Societies
2013-2014 : AXA Post-doctoral fellow : Climate change and flood hazard in the Western European Alps : a millennium long perspective (PI)
2016-2017 : Project AGIR-PEPS – RHAAP : Alpine flood risk, learning from the past (PI)
2016-2018 : Project Labex OSUG - VATEX : ATmospheric Variability and EXtreme events (PI)
2017-2021 : Project IDEX-CDP Trajectories (Co-Leader WP3 "Modeling of the integrated system")
2019-2021 : Project Marie Curie-Sklodowska IF FLOODARC : Understanding long-term FLOOD pattern variability in Western Mediterranean using natural ARChives (co-PI)
2019-2023 : Project IDEX-IRS : Variability of flood hazard in a changing climate : reconciling theory and paleo data
2020-2023 : Project ANR Orchestra : Orchestration in time and space of southeast Tibetan faults, views from geology and geodesy

Publications

2022

37) Boisson E., Wilhelm B., Garnier E., Mélo A., Anquetin S., Ruin I. (accepted) Geo-historical database of flood impacts in Alpine catchments (HIFAVa database, Arve River, France, 1850 – 2015), Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences

36) Wilhelm B., Rapuc W., Amann B., Anselmetti F.S., Arnaud F., Blanchet J., Brauer A., Czymzik M., Giguet-Covex C., Gilli A., Glur L., Grosjean M., Irmler R., Nicolle M., Sabatier P., Swierczynski T., Wirth S.B. (2022) Impact of warmer climate periods on flood hazard in the European Alps, Nature Geoscience 15, 118-123

35) Wilhelm B., Amann B., Corella J.P., Rapuc W., Giguet-Covex C., Merz B., Storen E. (2022) Reconstructing paleoflood occurrence and magnitude from lake sediments, Quaternary 5(1), 9

34) Jacq K., Rapuc W., Benoit A., Coquin D., Fanget B., Perrette Y., Sabatier P., Wilhelm B., Debret M., Arnaud F. (in press) Sedimentary structure discrimination with hyperspectral imaging in sediment cores, Science of the Total Environment

2021
33) Beaumet J.E.J., Ménégoz M., Gallée H., Fettweis X., Morin S., Six D., Wilhelm B., Vincent C., Anquetin S. (2021) Twentieth century temperature and snow cover changes in the French Alps using a high-resolution regional climate model and reanalyses. Regional Environmental Change 21(114)

32) Corella J.P., Benito G., Monteoliva A.P., Sigro J., Calle M., Valero-Garcés B.L., Stefanova V., Rico E., Favre A-C. and Wilhelm B. (2021) A 1400-years flood frequency reconstruction for the Basque Country (N Spain) integrating geological, historical and instrumental datasets. Quaternary Science Reviews 262, 106963

31) Messager, E., Poulenard, J., Sabatier, P., Develle, A.L., Wilhelm, B., Nomade, S., Scao, V., Von Grafenstein, U., Arnaud, F., Malet, E., Mgeladze, A., Raguet, P., Banjan, M., Mazuy, A., Dumoulin, J.P., Belmecheri, S., Lordkipanidze, D. (2020). Paravani, a puzzling lake in the South Caucasus. Quaternary Internationnal 579, 6-18

2020
30) Ménégoz, M., Valla, E., Jourdain, N., Blanchet, J., Beaumet, J., Wilhelm, B., Gallée, H. Fettweis, X., Morin, S. and Anquetin, S. (2020) Contrasting seasonal changes in total and intense precipitation in the European Alps from 1903 to 2010. Hydrology and Earth Systems Sciences 24, 5355–5377

29) Rapuc W., Jacq K., Develle-Vincent A.L., Sabatier P., Fanget B., Perrette Y., Coquin D., Debret M., Wilhelm B., Arnaud F. (2020) From XRF and hyperspectral analyses to an automatic way to detect flood events on sediment cores. Sedimentary Geology 409, 105776

28) Corella J.P., Sierra M.J., Garralón A., Millán R., Rodríguez-Alonso J., Mata M.P., Vicente de Vera A., Moreno A., González-Sampériz P., Duval B., Amouroux D., Vivez P., Cuevas C.A., Adame J.A., Wilhelm B., Saiz-Lopez A., Valero- Garcés B.L. (2020) Recent and historical legacy trace metal pollution in high altitude Marboré Lake (Central Pyrenees) : a record of mining and smelting since pre-Roman times in the Iberian Peninsula. Science of the Total Environment 751, 141557

2019
27) Raymond F., Wilhelm B., Anquetin S. (2019) Is Precipitation the Main Trigger of Medium- Magnitude Floods in Large Alpine Catchments ?, Water 11, 2507

26) Khider D., J. Emile‐Geay, N.P. McKay, Y. Gil, D. Garijo, V. Ratnakar, M. Alonso‐Garcia, S. Bertrand, O. Bothe, P. Brewer, A. Bunn, M. Chevalier, L. Comas‐Bru, A. Csank, E. Dassié, K. DeLong, T. Felis, P. Francus, A. Frappier, W. Gray, S. Goring, L. Jonkers, M. Kahle, D. Kaufman, N.M. Kehrwald, B. Martrat, H. McGregor, J. Richey, A. Schmittner, N. Scroxton, E. Sutherland, K. Thirumalai, K. Allen, F. Arnaud, Y. Axford, Timothy T. Barrows, L. Bazin, S.E. Pilaar Birch, E. Bradley, J. Bregy, E. Capron, O. Cartapanis, H.‐W. Chiang, K. Cobb, M. Debret, R. Dommain, J. Du, K. Dyez, S. Emerick, M.P. Erb, G. Falster, W. Finsinger, D. Fortier, Nicolas Gauthier, S. George, E. Grimm, J. Hertzberg, F. Hibbert, A. Hillman, W. Hobbs, M. Huber, A.L.C. Hughes, S. Jaccard, J. Ruan, M. Kienast, B. Konecky, G. Le Roux, V. Lyubchich, V.F. Novello, L. Olaka, J.W. Partin, C. Pearce, S.J. Phipps, C. Pignol, N. Piotrowska, M.‐S. Poli, A. Prokopenko, F. Schwanck, C. Stepanek, G.E.A. Swann, R. Telford, E. Thomas, Z. Thomas, S. Truebe, L. von Gunten, A. Waite, N. Weitzel, Wilhelm B., J. Williams, J.J. Williams, M. Winstrup, N. Zhao, Y. Zhou (2019) PaCTS 1.0 : A Crowdsourced Reporting Standard for Paleoclimate Data, doi.org/10.1029/2019PA003632

25) Schulte L., Wetter O., Wilhelm B., Peña J.C., Amann B., Wirth S.B., Carvalho F., Gómez-Bolea A. (2019) Integration of multi-archive datasets for the development of a 1 four-dimensional paleoflood model of alpine catchments, Global and Planetary Change 180, 66-88

24) Crouzet C., Wilhelm B., Sabatier P., Demory F., Thouveny N., Pignol C., Reyss J.-L., Magand O., Enters D., Bajard M., Augustin L., Arnaud F. (2019) Palaeomagnetism for chronologies of recent Alpine lake sediments : successes and limits, Journal of Paleolimnology 62, 259–278

23) Corella J.P., Benito G., Wilhelm B., Montoya E., Rull V., Vegas-Vilarrúbia T., Valero-Garces B. (2019) A millennium-long perspective of flood-related seasonal sediment yield in Mediterranean watersheds. Global and Planetary Change 177, 127-140

22) Wilhelm B., Ballesteros Canovas J.A., Macdonald N., Toonen W., Baker V., Barriendos M., Benito G., Brauer A., Corella Aznar J.P., Denniston R., Glaser R., Ionita M., Kahle M., Liu T., Luetscher M., Macklin M., Mudelsee M., Munoz S., Schulte L., St George S., Stoffel M., Wetter O. (2019) Interpreting historical, botanical, and geological evidence to aid preparations for future floods, WIRES Water, e1318

21) Evin G., Wilhelm B., Jenny J.P. (2019) Flood hazard assessment of the Rhône River revisited with reconstructed discharges from lake sediments, Global and Planetary Change 172, 114-123

2018
20) Wilhelm B., Ballesteros Canovas J.A., Corella Aznar J.P., Kämpf L., Swierczynski T., Stoffel M., Støren E, Toonen W. (2018) Recent advances in paleoflood hydrology : from new archives to data compilation and analysis, Water Security 3, 1-8 (Invited review)

19) Rapuc W., P. Sabatier, M. Andrič, C. Crouzet, F. Arnaud, E. Chapron, A. Šmuc, A.L. Develle, Wilhelm B. , F. Demory, J.-L. Reyss, E. Régnier, G. Daut and U. Von Grafenstein (2018) 6600 years of earthquake record in Julian Alps (Lake Bohinj, Slovenia), Sedimentology 65(5), 1777-1799

2017
18) Sabatier P., Wilhelm B, Ficetola G.F., Moiroux F., Poulenard J., Develle A.L., Bichet A., Chen W., Pignol C., Reyss J.L., Gielly L., Bajard M., Perrette Y., Malet E., Taberlet P., Arnaud F. (2017) 6-kyr record of flood frequency and intensity in the western Mediterranean Alps e Interplay of solar and temperature forcing. Quaternary Science Reviews 170, 121-135

17) Wilhelm B. , Vogel H., Anselmetti F.S. (2017) A multi-centennial record of past floods and earthquakes in Valle d’Aosta, Mediterranean Italian Alps, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 17, 613-625

16) Messager E., Nomade S., Wilhelm B., Joannin S., Scao V., Von Grafenstein U., Martkoplishvili U., Ollivier V., Mgeladze A., Dumoulin J.P.,Mazuy A., Lordkipanidze D. (2016) New pollen evidence from Nariani (Georgia) for delayed post-glacial forest expansion in the South Caucasus. Quaternary Research 87, 121-132

2016
15) Arnaud F., Poulenard J., Giguet-Covex C., Wilhelm B. , Révillon S., Jenny JP, Revel M, Enters D., Bajard M., Fouinat L., Doyen E., Simonneau A., Pignol C., Chapron E., Vannière B., Sabatier P. (2016) Erosion under climate and human pressures : An alpine lake sediment perspective Quaternary Science Reviews 152, 1-18 (Invited Review)

14) Wilhelm B. , Vogel H., Crouzet C., Etienne D. and Anselmetti F.S. (2016) Frequency and intensity of palaeofloods at the interface of Atlantic and Mediterranean climate domains Climate of the Past 12, 299-316

13) Wilhelm B. , Nomade J., Crouzet C., Litty C., Sabatier P., Belle S., Rolland Y., Revel M., Courboulex F., Arnaud F., Anselmetti F.S. (2016) Quantified sensitivity of small lake sediments to record historic earthquakes : Implications for paleoseismology Journal of Geophysical Research - Earth Surface 121, 2-16

2015
12) Wilhelm B., P. Sabatier, F. Arnaud (2015) Is a regional flood signal reproducible from lake sediments ? Sedimentology 62(4) : 1103–1117

2014
11) Sabatier, P., Poulenard, J., Fanget, B., Reyss, J.L., Develle, A.L., Wilhelm B., Ployon, E., Pignol C., Naffrechoux, E., Dorioz, J.M., Montuelle, B., Arnaud, F. (2014) Long-term relationships among pesticide applications, mobility, and soil erosion in a vineyard watershed. PNAS 111(44) : 15647–15652

10) Merz B., Aerts J., Arnbjerg-Nielsen K., Baldi M., Becker A., Bichet A., Blöschl G., L. M. Bouwer, A. Brauer, F. Cioffi, J. M. Delgado, M. Gocht, F. Guzzetti, S. Harrigan, K. Hirschboeck, C. Kilsby, W. Kron, H.-H. Kwon, U. Lall, R. Merz, K. Nissen, P. Salvatti, T. Swierczynski, U. Ulbrich, A. Viglione, P. J. Ward, M. Weiler, Wilhelm B., Nied M. (2014) Floods and climate : emerging perspectives for flood risk assessment and management. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 14 : 1921-1942

9) Jenny J.-P., Wilhelm B., Arnaud F. , Sabatier P., Giguet-Covex C. , Mélo A. , Fanget B., Malet E., Ployon E., Perga M.E. (sous presse) A 4D sedimentological approach to reconstructing the flood frequency and intensity of the Rhône River (Lake Bourget, NW European Alps). Journal of Paleolimnology 51(4) : 469-483

8) Petersen J., Wilhelm B., Revel M., Rolland Y., Arnaud F., Magand O. (2014) Sediments of Lake Vens (SW European Alps, France) record large-magnitude earthquake events. Journal of Paleolimnology 51(3) : 343-355

2013
7) Birck, C., I. Epaillard, M.-F. Leccia, C. Crassous, A. Morand, C. Miaud, C. Bertrand, L. Cavalli, S. Jacquet, P., Moullec, R. Bonnet, C. Sagot, E. Franquet, Y.M. Nellier, M.E. Perga, N. Cottin, C. Pignol, E. Malet, E. Naffrechoux,, C. Giguet-Covex, I. Jouffroy-Bapicot, D. Etienne, L. Millet, P. Sabatier, Wilhelm B., B. Perren & F. Arnaud (2013) Sentinel lakes : a network for the study and management of mountain lakes in the French Alps and in Corsica. Eco Mont – Journal on protected mountain areas research : 63-69

6) Wilhelm B., F. Arnaud, P. Sabatier, O. Magand, E. Chapron, T. Courp, K. Tachikawa, B. Fanget, E. Malet, C. Pignol, E. Bard, J.J. Delannoy (2013) Paleoflood activity and climatic changes over the last 1400 years from lake sediments of the NW European Alps, Journal of Quaternary Science 28(2) : 189–199

5) Etienne D., Wilhelm B., Sabatier P., Reyss JL, Arnaud F. (2013) Influences of sampled environment and livestock number on Sporormiella abundances in modern lake sediments in French Alps, Journal of Paleolimnology 49 : 117–127

2012
4) E. Brisset, F. Guiter, C. Miramont, C. Delhon, F. Arnaud, J.R. Disnar, J. Poulenard, E. Anthony, J.D. Meunier, Wilhelm B., C. Pailles (2012) A multidisciplinary investigation of a Holocene lake sediment sequence in the Southern French Alps at Lake Petit (Mercantour, 2200 m a.s.l.) : history of a disturbed geosystem, Quaternaire 23(4) : 309-319

3) Wilhelm B., F. Arnaud, P. Sabatier, C. Crouzet, E. Brisset, E. Chaumillon, J.R. Disnar, F. Guiter, E. Malet, J.L. Reyss, K. Tachikawa, E. Bard, J.J. Delannoy (2012) 1400 years of extreme precipitation patterns over the Mediterranean French Alps and possible forcing mechanisms, Quaternary Research 78(1) : 1-12

2) Wilhelm B., F. Arnaud, D. Enters, F. Allignol , A. Legaz, O. Magand, S. Revillon, C. Giguet-Covex, E. Malet (2012) Does global warming favour the occurrence of extreme floods in European Alps ? First evidences from a NW Alps proglacial lake sediment record, Climatic Change 113 : 563-581

1) C. Giguet-Covex, F. Arnaud, D. Enters, J. Poulenard, L. Millet, P. Francus, F. David, P.J. Rey, Wilhelm B., J.J. Delannoy (2012) Frequency and intensity of high-altitude floods over the last 3.5 ka in NW European Alps, Quaternary Research 77(1) : 12-22

Book chapters
6) Anquetin S., Ruin I., Molinié G., Carnel J.S., Lafon B., Braud I., Lutoff C., Wilhelm B., Creutin J.D. (2018) High-impact Weather Events : Is a Socio-hydrometeorological Characterization Possible ?. In : Mobilities Facing Hydrometeorological Extreme Events, ed. Science Direct., pp 89-111

5) Wilhelm B. (2018) Climat du dernier millénaire dans les Alpes. In : Impacts du changement climatique et transition(s) dans les Alpes du Sud, Les cahiers du GREC-PACA, ed. AIR : 7.

4) Wilhelm B. (2017) Les sédiments lacustres : 1300 ans d’histoire des crues dans les Alpes du sud. In : Les ressources en eau et le changement climatique en Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Les cahiers du GREC-PACA, ed. AIR : 22-24.

3) Wilhelm B., Arnaud F., Sabatier P. (2015) Les sédiments des lacs, archives des crues. In : L’eau à découvert (dir.A. Euzen, C. Jeandel, R. Mosseri) CNRS Editions, pp. 288-289

2) Mélo A., Wilhelm B., Ch. Giguet-Covex, et al. (2015) Construire une chronique d’inondations : événements hydrologiques et histoire climatique dans le bassin de l’Arve (Alpes du Nord, France) entre les XVIIIe et XXI e siècles. Dans : L’homme et son environnement : des lacs, des montagnes et des rivières. Bulles d’archéologie offertes à André Marguet (ed. P.J. Rey et A. Dumont). Revue Archéologique de l’Est : 407-416.

1) Wilhelm B., D. Bourgeois, P.O. Chabod, O. Parsy, R. Durand, B. Cabrol, J. Nant, M. Papet, F. Hobléa (2010) Le système karstique de la Doria (Les Déserts, Massif des Bauges, Savoie) Karstologia Mémoires 19 : 206-207

Conference proceedings
3) Wilhelm B., F. Arnaud, C. Giguet-Covex, J.J. Delannoy (2012) Changements climatiques et crues torrentielles : quelles relations ? Associations Internationales de Climatologie, Grenoble, septembre 2012

2) Wilhelm B., F. Arnaud, P. Sabatier, C. Giguet-Covex, J.J. Delannoy (2012) Assessing the evolution of Torrential flood activity from lake sediment records in French Alps Applications and implications to the current global warming. 12th Congress Interpraevent, Grenoble, avril 2012, vol. 1, pp. 409-419

1) Wilhelm B. (2007) Une couverture tertiaire à l’origine d’une spéléogenèse atypique (Réseau Garde-Cavale, La Féclaz, Massif des Bauges), Actes des Rencontres d’Octobre 2007, 101-106

Scientific reports
4) Nicault, A. ; Arnal, C. ; Arnaud, P. ; Aspe, C. ; Bidet, Y. ; Brigode, P. ; Caillouet, L. ; Chanzy, A. ; Chiu, V. ; Douvinet, J. ; Francart, C. ; Garrone, C. ; Graff, B. ; Grémont, M. ; Grillas, P. ; Herivaux, C. ; Jacqué, M. ; Kaldonski, N. ; Kuentz, A. ; Marechal, J.C. ; Martin, P. ; Mathevet, T. ; Maughan, N. ; Monière, C. ; Olivari, G. ; Prats, J. ; Richard, S. ; Rieu, Thierry ; Rivet, F. ; Roche, N. ; Roux, D. ; Sauquet, E. ; Schimmelpfennig, I. ; Soubeyroux, J.M. ; Vallet-Coulomb, C. ; Vennetier, M. ; Vidal, J.P. ;Wilhelm B., 2017. Les ressources en eau et le changement climatique en Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Rapport scientifique, GREC-PACA, 52 p. - PDF

3) Giguet-Covex C., B. Perren, M.-E. Perga, V. Vernaux, I. Jouffroy-Bapicot, D. Etienne, L. Millet, P. Sabatier, J.-L. Reyss, F. Arnaud, Wilhelm B., 2012. Observatoire et rétro-observatoire de l’état écologique des plans d’eau d’altitude : réflexions sur la notion d’état de référence et évaluation des facteurs de dégradation des lacs d’altitude. Rapport scientifique, Le Bourget du Lac, 50 p.

2) Giguet-Covex C., Arnaud F., Wilhelm B., P. Sabatier, L. Millet, V. Vernaux, M.-E. Perga, E. Chalmin, N. Cottin, E. Naffrechoux, J.-L. Reyss, 2010. Observatoire et rétro-observatoire de l’état écologique des plans d’eau d’altitude. Rapport final pour l’Agence de l’Eau ZABR, Le Bourget du Lac, 91 p.

1) Allignol F, Arnaud F, Champagnac J.D, Delannoy JJ, Deline P, Fudral S, Paillet A, Ployon E, Ravanel L, Saulnier GM, Wilhelm B, 2008. Etude intégrée du bassin versant du Vorz (Belledonne, Isère) consécutive à la crue des 22 et 23 août 2005. Rapport scientifique, Laboratoire EDYTEM, Le Bourget du Lac, 202 p.

Other publications
4) Ballesteros Canovas J.A., Schulte L., Corella J.P. and Wilhelm B. (2020) Floods in a warmer world : Insights from paleohydrology, PAGES Magazine 28(1), 31

3) Wilhelm B. and Ballesteros-Cánovas J.A. (2016) A cross-disciplinary initiative to analyze past floods, PAGES Magazine 24(2), 76 - PDF

2) Wilhelm B. Wirth S. and Ballesteros-Cánovas J.A. (2016) New PAGES working group on floods, PAGES Magazine 24(1), 28 - PDF or HTML

1) Arnaud F., Giguet-Covex C., Wilhelm B., Jenny JP, Sabatier P., Poulenard J., Desmet M., Enters D., Revillon S., Millet L., Debret M., Pignol C., Malet E., Fanget B. (2014) L’objet embLématique Lacs de montagne - L’étude des sédiments Lacustres au Laboratoire EDYTEM. Environnemments, Dynamiques et Territoires de Montagne, Collection EDYTEM 16, 107-118 - PDF