Refsgaard was appointed as an assistant professor Technical University of Denmark in 1978 before becoming an associate professor in 1982, and remained in that position until 1984. Simultaneously, he worked at the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) from 1980 to 2000. He was then a research professor at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland from 2000 to 2018 and has been an emeritus professor there since 2019.
Research
Refsgaard's research has focused on catchment modelling, good modelling practice, uncertainty assessment, and water resources. In catchment modelling, he has worked with physically based hydrological systems such as the MIKE SHE. His work has addressed model parametrization, calibration and validation, as well as comparative evaluation, and has also examined the methodological development of hydrological models. He has contributed to the formulation of guidance on good modelling practice to support appropriate and consistent model use.
In the area of uncertainty assessment of models, Refsgaard has studied approaches for identifying and analysing uncertainties. His publications have highlighted the implications of model structure error and strategies for addressing geological uncertainty in groundwater flow modelling. He has also outlined the modelling procedure and defined modelling uncertainty.
Beyond modelling, Refsgaard's research has examined groundwater–surface water interactions in Denmark through analyses of geomorphological, geological, and hydrological characteristics across multiple regional catchment types. His work has also discussed the accelerating impacts of climate change on the Baltic Sea, describing it as indicative of future coastal ocean conditions.
Awards and honors
2005 – Fellow, The Danish Academy of Technical Sciences
2011 – G.O. Andrup Groundwater Award, Vandcenter Syd
Selected articles
Refsgaard, Jens Christian; Knudsen, Jesper (July 1996). "Operational Validation and Intercomparison of Different Types of Hydrological Models". Water Resources Research. 32 (7): 2189–2202. Bibcode:1996WRR....32.2189R. doi:10.1029/96WR00896.
Refsgaard, Jens Christian; van der Sluijs, Jeroen P.; Brown, James; van der Keur, Peter (November 2006). "A framework for dealing with uncertainty due to model structure error". Advances in Water Resources. 29 (11): 1586–1597. Bibcode:2006AdWR...29.1586R. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2005.11.013.
Refsgaard, Jens Christian; van der Sluijs, Jeroen P.; Højberg, Anker Lajer; Vanrolleghem, Peter A. (November 2007). "Uncertainty in the environmental modelling process – A framework and guidance". Environmental Modelling & Software. 22 (11): 1543–1556. Bibcode:2007EnvMS..22.1543R. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2007.02.004.
Refsgaard, Jens Christian; Stisen, Simon; Koch, Julian (January 2022). "Hydrological process knowledge in catchment modelling – Lessons and perspectives from 60 years development". Hydrological Processes. 36 (1) e14463. Bibcode:2022HyPr...36E4463R. doi:10.1002/hyp.14463.
↑Fu, Baihua; Merritt, Wendy S.; Croke, Barry F.W.; Weber, Tony R.; Jakeman, Anthony J. (April 2019). "A review of catchment-scale water quality and erosion models and a synthesis of future prospects". Environmental Modelling & Software. 114: 86. Bibcode:2019EnvMS.114...75F. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.12.008.
↑Ivanov, Valeriy Y.; Bras, Rafael L.; Vivoni, Enrique R. (March 2008). "Vegetation-hydrology dynamics in complex terrain of semiarid areas: 1. A mechanistic approach to modeling dynamic feedbacks". Water Resources Research. 44 (3): 2. Bibcode:2008WRR....44.3429I. doi:10.1029/2006WR005588.
↑Barnett, Brian; Townley, Lloyd R.; Post, Vincent; Evans, R.E.; Hunt, Randall J.; Peeters, L.; Richardson, Stuart; Werner, Adrian D.; Knapton, Anthony; Boronkay, A. (2012). Australian Groundwater Modelling Guidelines (June 2012ed.). National Water Commission. ISBN978-1-921853-91-3.
↑Süsser, Diana; Ceglarz, Andrzej; Gaschnig, Hannes; Stavrakas, Vassilis; Flamos, Alexandros; Giannakidis, George; Lilliestam, Johan (May 2021). "Model-based policymaking or policy-based modelling? How energy models and energy policy interact". Energy Research & Social Science. 75 101984: 2. Bibcode:2021ERSS...7501984S. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2021.101984.