Abstract. Dear Reader, In the early sixties, the eminent American hydrologist, Walter Langbein, founded Water Resources Research on behalf of the Section of Hydrology of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Today, Water Resources Research is undisputed as the leading international journal in its field, and the key factors in its success are: * sustained emphasis on high quality papers; * the reviewing, editing, and management processes are all controlled by the scientists; * the allegiance of the AGU community to WRR; * a verv reasonable cost both to institutions and members; * financial benefits from the sales of the journal are fed back to the AGU, to the benefit of the members. In Europe, we now have a well established community of hydrologists in EGS, and the need for a high quality journal was addressed initially by adopting the already well established Elsevier journal of Hydrology as the official journal of the Hydrological Sciences Section. However, it became apparent that several of the factors associated with WRR's success were not working in the Society's favour, and so it has been decided to establish a new journal which, we hope, can emulate the success of WRR in the fullness of time. Much has been written over the past decade about the need to establish a strong identity for hydrology as a distinct geoscience alongside the atmospheric, ocean and solid earth sciences. The aims and scope of Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS) have been designed to give full expression to this goal, and have been strongly influenced by 'Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences' (National Academy Press,1991). The functioning of the hydrological cycle within an earth system undergoing global change is currently the focus of research by many leading scientists and it is hoped that HESS will become a major forum for the publication and discussion of such research, as well as all new findings which enhance the position of hydrology as a geoscience. The success of a new journal is dependent not only on attracting high quality papers, but on the preservation of high standards in the overall editorial process. This requires, inter alia, a sympathetic managing editor to assist non-native English speakers in Europe and beyond to communicate their research findings with good clarity. We are highly fortunate that Dr j S G (Jim) McCulloch, who has had such a major impact on the success of the Journal of Hydrology, has agreed to take on the onerous task of launching and managing HESS. He will be supported by a panel of Scientific Editors and by an Editorial Board, who will advise him. We are indebted to Dr McCulloch and his editorial office team for their dedicated efforts in bringing this first issue to fruition. We also thank the authors, who have entrusted their papers to HESS, the reviewers who have responded so promptly and Arne Richter, the Secretary-General of EGS, for his continual support and enthusiasm for this venture. Finally, and most important of all, we appeal to you, and all members of the scientific community, to support HESS by * taking out a personal subscription; * arranging for an institutional subscription; * contributing your best papers; * helping with the peer review process. By rallying around HESS and giving it the priority which will ensure that high quality is achieved from the outset, we can, as a community, eventually match the achievements of WRR. You and future generations of European hydrologists will be the beneficiaries. Philip O'Kane Enda O'Connell EGS Vice-President Past-EGS Vice-President (Hydrological Sciences) (Hydrological Sciences)
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