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EGU Award Ceremony (Credit: EGU/Foto Pfluegl)

Arne Richter Awards for Outstanding Early Career Scientists 2025 Frederik Kratzert

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European Geosciences Union

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Frederik Kratzert

Frederik Kratzert
Frederik Kratzert

HS Hydrological Sciences

The 2025 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists is awarded to Frederik Kratzert for outstanding research in hydrological modelling and open science, particularly through Artificial Intelligence-based approaches in large-sample hydrology studies.

Frederik Kratzert made his first major contribution to hydrology research in 2018 by applying Long Short-Term Memory networks to rainfall-runoff modeling, a breakthrough that marked a turning point for the field. His pioneering work solidified Artificial Intelligence as a leading approach for tasks such as lumped rainfall-runoff modeling, river flood forecasting, and predicting hydrological signatures in ungauged basins.

Frederik Kratzert’s influence extends far beyond academia. He is responsible for managing the global hydrological model behind Google’s Flood Forecasting, a system largely built upon his research. This operational early warning system provides real-time, short-term forecasts for extreme riverine events across more than 80 countries, helping to protect communities around the world. His work is carried out in partnership with local governments and international organizations, including the Red Cross and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
In addition to his research, Frederik Kratzert plays a pivotal leadership role in advancing open science within the hydrological community. He created and maintains NeuralHydrology, one of the main open-source libraries for AI models in hydrology, and leads the Caravan Project, which unites large-scale hydrological datasets from around the world into a global open-source resource. These initiatives have fostered international collaboration and facilitated contributions from the broader scientific community.

Frederik Kratzert has also played a key role in shaping the discourse on AI in hydrology through his involvement in high-profile sessions at the EGU General Assembly. As a reviewer, he upholds the rigorous standards for AI applications in hydrology, a bar set largely by his own groundbreaking work.

Frederik Kratzert is a standout talent, distinguished by an impressive record in research, leadership, and communication. These achievements make him an exceptional early-career scientist and a deserving recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Award of the Hydrological Sciences Division.