Mikel Calle Navarro

Assistant professor (Faculty of Geological Sciences. Complutense University, Madrid)

mikelcal@ucm.es

0000-0003-1590-6772

connectivity; eco-hydromorphology; ephemeral rivers; fluvial geomorphology; sediments; sediment transport

I am a fluvial geomorphologist working as an assistant professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, and a research collaborator of the University of Turku (Finland). PhD in Geology (Complutense University of Madrid, 2018). Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Turku (Finland) focused on high-latitude river systems and climate-driven processes.

My research focuses on hydromorhpology, sediment dynamics, and connectivity in river systems, with particular emphasis on extreme environments ranging from Mediterranean ephemeral rivers to sub-Arctic and Polar regions. My research integrates field measurements, remote sensing (SfM and LiDAR), and numerical modelling to analyse river dynamics across spatial and temporal scales.

My work aims to improve the understanding of river responses to climate change and human pressures, supporting more effective river management and restoration strategies.

Publications (last 10 years)

  • Ortega-Becerril J A, Schmid T, Corella JP, Carcavilla L, Calle M, López-Martínez J. 2026. Stream channel morphology and water flow in ice-free areas of Byers Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Geomorphology 494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.110101

2026

2025

  • Bartolomé M, Giménez R, Pérez-Villar G, Luetscher M, Stoll H, Moreno A, Calle M, Ballesteros-Cánovas JA, Benito G. 2025. Records of past flood in caves of the Central Pyrenees. Sedimentary evidence and quantification methods. Metode 15(6), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.15.30175

  • Nylén T, Calle M, Gonzales-Inca C. 2025. Unveiling coastal change across the Arctic with full Landsat collections and data fusion. Remote Sensing of Environment 322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2025.114696

2024

  • Blåfield L, Calle M, Kasvi E, Alho P. 2024. Modelling seasonal variation of sediment connectivity and its interplay with river forms. Geomorphology 463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109346

  • Nygren O, Calle M, Gonzales-Inca C, Kasvi E, Käyhkö N. 2024. Automated geovisualization of flood disaster impacts in the global South cities with open geospatial data sets and ICEYE SAR flood data. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104319

  • Rabanaque MP, Martínez-Fernández V, Calle M, Castillo O, Benito G. 2024. Spatio-temporal analysis of geomorphic recovery along an altered ephemeral stream using automated image processing. Geomorphology 450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109069

  • Vázquez-Tarrío D, Ruiz-Villanueva V, Garrote J, Benito G, Calle M, Lucía A, Díez-Herrero A. 2024. Effects of sediment transport on flood hazards: Lessons learned and remaining challenges. Geomorphology 446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2023.108976

2023

  • Benito G, Greenbaum N, Medialdea A, Calle M, Sánchez-Moya Y, Machado M, Ballesteros-Cánovas JA, Corella JP. 2023. Late Pleistocene–Holocene multi-decadal patterns of extreme floods in NW Iberia: The Duero River palaeoflood record. Quaternary Science Reviews 321, 108356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108356

  • Lima F, Blanco-Sepúlveda R, Calle M, Andújar D. 2023. Reconstruction of historical soil surfaces and estimation of soil erosion rates with mound measurements and UAV photogrammetry in Mediterranean olive groves. Geoderma 440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116708

2022

  • Gonzales-Inca C, Calle M, Croghan D, Torabi Haghighi A, Marttila H, Silander J, Alho P. 2022. Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) in the Integrated Hydrological and Fluvial Systems Modeling: Review of Current Applications and Trends. Water (Switzerland) 14(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/w14142211

  • Rabanaque MP, Martínez-Fernández V, Calle M, Benito G. 2022. Basin-wide hydromorphological analysis of ephemeral streams using machine learning algorithms‡. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 47(1), 328–344. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5250

2019

  • Bartolomé M, Sancho C, Benito G, Medialdea A, Calle M, Moreno A, Leunda M, Luetscher M, Muñoz A, Bastida J, Cheng H, Edwards RL. 2021. Effects of glaciation on karst hydrology and sedimentology during the Last Glacial Cycle: The case of Granito cave, Central Pyrenees (Spain). Catena 206.

  • Corella JP, Benito G, Monteoliva AP, Sigro J, Calle M, Valero-Garcés BL, Stefanova V, Rico E, Favre A-C, 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.

  • Benito G, Sánchez-Moya Y, Medialdea A, Barriendos M, Calle M, Rico M, Sopeña A, Machado MJ. 2020. Extreme floods in small mediterranean catchments: Long-term response to climate variability and change. Water (Switzerland) 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/W12041008

  • Calle M, Calle J, Alho P, Benito G. 2020. Inferring sediment transfers and functional connectivity of rivers from repeat topographic surveys. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 45(3), 681–693. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4765

  • Rodríguez-Lloveras X, Machado MJ, Sánchez-Moya Y, Calle M, Medialdea A, Sopeña A, Benito G. 2020. Impacts of sediment connectivity on Holocene alluvial records across a Mediterranean basin (Guadalentín River, SE-Spain). Catena 187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.104321

  • Calle M. 2019. Morphosedimentary dynamics of ephemeral rivers affected by gravel mining: GIS mapping and geomorphic change detection. https://eprints.ucm.es/55964/

  • Rodríguez-Ochoa R, Olarieta JR, Santana A, Castañeda C, Calle M, Rhodes E, Bartolomé M, Peña-Monné JL, Sancho C. 2019. Relict periglacial soils on Quaternary terraces in the Central Ebro Basin (NE Spain). Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 30(4), 364–373. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2005

  • Andújar D, Calle M, Fernández-Quintanilla C, Ribeiro Á, Dorado J. 2018. Three-dimensional modeling of weed plants using low-cost photogrammetry. Sensors (Switzerland), 18(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/s18041077

  • Benito G, Aranda JA, Beneyto C, Iturbide M, Machado MJ, Calle M, Francés F, Gutiérrez JM, Medialdea A, Sánchez-Moya Y. 2018. Aproximación multidisciplinar al estudio del impacto del cambio climático en las inundaciones para la adaptación del diseño y análisis de seguridad de presas. In C. García Gómez-Pujol L, Moran-Tejeda E, Batalla RJ (Ed.), Geomorfología del Antropoceno. Efectos del cambio global sobre los procesos geomorfológicos (pp. 303–306). UIB-SEG.

  • Calle M, Alho P, Benito G. 2018. Monitoring ephemeral river changes during floods with SfM photogrammetry. Journal of Iberian Geology 44(3), 355–373. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-018-0078-y

  • Calle M, Benson I, Benito G. 2018. Estimación del transporte de sedimento por carga de fondo en ríos efímeros mediante placas de impacto. In Libro de Actas de la XV Reunión Nacional de la SEG.

  • Lotsari ES, Calle M, Benito G, Kukko A, Kaartinen H, Hyyppä J, Hyyppä H, Alho P. 2018. Topographical change caused by moderate and small floods in a gravel bed ephemeral river - A depth-averaged morphodynamic simulation approach. Earth Surface Dynamics, 6(1), 163–185. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-163-2018

  • Machado MJ, Castillo O, Barriendos M, Calle M, Greenbaum N, Medialdea A, Sánchez-Moya Y, Benito G. 2018. Evaluación de la peligrosidad de las crecidas extraordinarias del río Duero en Zamora: hidrología histórica, hidráulica y patrimonio histórico. In C. García Gómez-Pujol L, Moran-Tejeda E, Batalla RJ (Ed.), Geomorfología del Antropoceno. Efectos del cambio global sobre los procesos geomorfológicos (pp. 353–356). UIB-SEG.

  • Calle M, Alho P, Benito G. 2017. Channel dynamics and geomorphic resilience in an ephemeral Mediterranean river affected by gravel mining. Geomorphology 285, 333–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.02.026

  • Lewis CJ, Sancho C, McDonald EV, Peña-Monné JL, Pueyo EL, Rhodes E, Calle M, Soto R. 2017. Post-tectonic landscape evolution in NE Iberia using staircase terraces: Combined effects of uplift and climate. Geomorphology 292, 85–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.04.037

  • Machado MJ, Medialdea A, Calle M, Rico MT, Sánchez-Moya Y, Sopeña A, Benito G. 2017. Historical palaeohydrology and landscape resilience of a Mediterranean rambla (Castellón, NE Spain): Floods and people. Quaternary Science Reviews 171, 182–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2017.07.014

  • Sancho C, Calle M, Peña-Monné JL, Duval M, Oliva-Urcia B, Pueyo EL, Benito G, Moreno A. 2016. Dating the Earliest Pleistocene alluvial terrace of the Alcanadre River (Ebro Basin, NE Spain): Insights into the landscape evolution and involved processes. Quaternary International 407, Part A, 86–95. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.10.050

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