Collaborative Research: A WATERS testbed to investigate the impacts of changing snow conditions on hydrologic processes in the western United States

合作研究：WATERS 测试平台，用于调查雪况变化对美国西部水文过程的影响

• 批准号: 0854522
• 负责人: James McNamara
• 金额: $ 22.56万
• 依托单位: Boise State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0854522&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; WATERS; testbed; investigate

0854522 / 0854553 McNamara / GoodwinThe altered spatiotemporal distribution of winter snowpack is perhaps the single greatest ongoing and future climatic impact in the western United States. The planned WATERS network must be designed to address the present and potential hydrological impacts of this disturbance. This proposed WATERS testbed project aims to address the hydrologic impacts of changing snowpack regime in western mountains using the Middle Snake Hydrologic Observatory, formed by partnering the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) with the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed (DCEW) on opposite sides of the Snake River Plain near Boise, Idaho. The premise of this proposal is that understanding the hydrologic impacts of climate change in the semi-arid mountains of the western US requires understanding the relationships between snow distribution, landscape properties, and soil moisture dynamics. Their central question is: How will earlier snowmelt and upward migration of the rain/snow transition zone affect spring soil drydown patterns in complex terrain? They will evaluate this question using a space for time substitution approach. Specifically, they propose that future impacts of climate-induced changes in snowpack spatiotemporal distribution on soil moisture dynamics can be deduced by evaluating current differences across elevation gradients. The key question will be addressed with three specific objectives, with an additional objective to synthesize and integrate the project with community research: 1) determine the physiologic and climatic controls on the spatial and temporal distribution of snow and the rain/snow transition; 2) determine the hillslope-scale linkages between snow and soil moisture dynamics across elevation gradients; 3) develop a coupled snowmelt/soil moisture dynamics model to test theories against observations; and 4) coordinate and synthesize community research in the MSHO. They contend that hydrologic observatory networks will be challenged with leveraging funding sources and providing value-added resources to projects led by externally funded scientists. They suggest that observatory networks must be designed to facilitate community science by providing long-term baseline hydrologic information coupled with focused measurements designed for maximum benefit of teams working on integrated research topics, and providing resources to teams of experts that will add value with leveraged funding for specific projects. The RCEW and the DCEW, are ideally suited to demonstrate this community science concept. Both sites have core ongoing hydrometeorological observations along elevation gradients, and both host numerous externally funded projects related the proposed key question. The PIs will address each objective above by capitalizing on core measurements, leveraging existing funded projects, and adding new measurements with this project. By integrating and supplementing studies along elevation gradients, they will demonstrate how hydrologic observatories can be used to facilitate community science efforts to address this critical water resource problem. The proposed project is closely based on many concepts outlined in Science, Education, and Design Strategy for the WATer and Environmental Research Systems Network, known as the SEDS document. The proposed experiments and observations on the changing snowpack are designed according to the gradient concept outlined in the SEDS document in a set of clusters and catchments. The changing snowpack has been identified as a key hydrologic problem in nearly all documents published by WATERS, CLEANER, and CUAHSI. The proposed project follows the WATERS Network conceptual design principles by integrating multiple observatories (RCEW and DCEW), using CUAHSI cyberinfrastructure, applying new sensor technology, integrating new modeling strategies with observations, building collaboration between universities and federal agencies, and implementing education and outreach programs. In addition to testing and demonstrating WATERS concepts, this project will contribute to a greater understanding of climate change impacts in the western United States.

0854522 /0854553 McNamara / Goodwinththe Snowpack改变的时空分布可能是美国西部的最大和未来的气候影响。 计划中的水网络必须旨在解决此干扰的当前和潜在水文影响。 这项提议的水域测试床项目旨在使用中蛇的水文观测站来解决西部山区改变积雪政权的水文影响，这是由雷诺兹克里克实验性水域（RCEW）与Boise snake River Plach Plain的相反侧面的Dry Creek实验性水域（DCEW）合作而形成的。 该提案的前提是了解西方半干旱山脉气候变化的水文影响需要了解雪分布，景观特性和土壤水分动态之间的关系。 他们的主要问题是：雨/雪过渡区的早期融雪和向上迁移将如何影响复杂地形的春季土壤干燥模式？ 他们将使用时间替代方法来评估这个问题。 具体而言，他们建议通过评估海拔梯度之间的当前差异来推断气候引起的积雪时空分布变化对土壤水分动态的未来影响。 关键问题将以三个特定的目标解决，并具有将项目与社区研究合成和整合的其他目标：1）确定雪的空间和时间分布以及雨/雪过渡的生理和气候控制； 2）确定海拔梯度跨雪和土壤水分动力学之间的山坡尺度连接； 3）开发一个耦合的融雪/土壤水分动力学模型，以测试理论针对观察结果； 4）在MSHO中协调和综合社区研究。他们认为，水文天文台网络将在利用资金来源并为外部资助科学家领导的项目提供增值资源方面受到质疑。 他们建议，必须设计天文台网络来促进社区科学，并提供长期的基线水文信息以及专注的测量，旨在为综合研究主题工作的团队的最大收益，并为专家团队提供资源，这些团队将为特定项目增加杠杆资金而增加价值。 RCEW和DCEW非常适合展示这种社区科学概念。 这两个地点都有沿着海拔梯度的核心水文学观测，并且都有许多与拟议的关键问题相关的外部资助项目。 PI将通过利用核心测量，利用现有资助的项目以及对该项目添加新的测量方法来解决上述每个目标。 通过整合和补充沿高程梯度的研究，他们将证明如何使用水文观测器来促进社区科学的努力来解决这一关键水资源问题。拟议的项目密切基于水和环境研究系统网络的科学，教育和设计策略（称为SEDS文档）的许多概念。 根据一组集群和集水区中SEDS文档中概述的梯度概念设计了拟议的实验和观察结果。 在Waters，Cleaner和Cuahsi发布的几乎所有文件中，变化的积雪被确定为关键的水文问题。 拟议的项目通过使用Cuahsi Cyber​​infradstructure集成多个观测站（RCEW和DCEW）来遵循Waters网络的概念设计原理，应用了新的传感器技术，将新的建模策略与观测结合，建立大学与联邦机构之间的合作以及实施教育和外界计划。 除了测试和展示水概念外，该项目还将有助于对美国西部的气候变化影响有更多了解。