Hydroclimatology
Examines the processes that link the land surface and atmosphere as they relate to the water cycle to better understand and predict the effects of natural variability and human-induced change on the distribution of water throughout the Earth system.
- How is the formation and behavior of clouds and precipitation likely to be modified through global climate change?
- How will changes in the timing and duration of precipitation affect water supply and quality?
- How do feedback processes influence the interactions between the water cycle and other components of the climate system and how will these change with time?
- How will changes in environmental policy and water resources management impact regional and global climate?
- How will changes in climate drivers and land use affect water quality and the movement and distribution of water within the Great Lakes drainage basin?
Outcomes: Better integration of models and data will delineate variability and trends in the water cycle for improved agricultural forecasts, urban planning, and water resources management strategies. This work will also improve the water cycle components in climate models, reducing a key source of uncertainty in climate predictions.
An integrated understanding of the terrestrial water and energy cycles across the NEESPI domain through observations and modeling - Laura Bowling (NASA)
The Eurasian Arctic drainage is a vast area that constitutes over 10 percent of the global land mass. Much of this region is either boreal forest or tundra, both of which are fragile ecosystems that have undergone considerable change over the last half century. The presence of permafrost and modest relief impedes the subsurface drainage of water and makes lakes and wetlands a dominant feature throughout the region.
Collaborative Research: Impact of Permafrost Degradation on Carbon and Water in Boreal Ecosystems - Qianlai Zhuang (Funding from NSF)
The Boreal Forest contains about one-third of all global terrestrial carbon stored as vegetation and soil organic matter. The fate of this carbon, however, is uncertain because of the widespread degradation of permafrost, which plays a key role in sequestering soil carbon. If the climate warms another 5 to 8oC in Alaska, as predicted by the IPCC (2001), nearly all the permafrost could be eliminated from this biome, causing dramatic changes in the water and carbon balance of boreal ecosystems.
Collaborative Research: Water Balance of western North America: Dynamics of the Miocene summer monsoon - Noah Diffenbaugh (NSF)
This project focuses on the analysis of the water balance in the Western U.S. during Miocene time through the application of an innovative approach that links changes in precipitation patterns to sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the eastern Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. In contrast to the prevailing arid climate of the modern Western U.S., conditions during middle Miocene time were far wetter despite similar atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Cosmogenic Nuclides on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) - Marc Caffee (Funding from NSF)
This award supports a project to measure the concentrations of the cosmogenic radionuclides, 10Be, 26Al and 36Cl, in Antarctic ice samples using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). This project is a pilot study for the future analysis of radionuclides from up to 1000 individual ice samples of the WAIS Divide deep ice core. These measurements will enable scientists to separate local from global effects.
Holocene Water Balance of the Northeastern Great Basin - Gabe Bowen (Funding from NSF)
In many parts of the world, water is a limiting resource for plants, animals, and humans. For arid regions such as the southwestern United States, understanding variability in the availability of water is critical to forecasting and planning for the risks associated with population growth and urban development. This understanding must include an understanding.
Multisensor/multiscale assessment of urban impacts in the Great Lakes Region. NASA LCLUC Program - Laura Bowling (Funding from NASA)
Urbanization is altering the global landscape at an unprecedented rate. This form of land cover/land-use change (LCLUC) can significantly reduce infiltration and runoff response times, and alter heat and water vapor fluxes, which can further change surface-forced regional circulation patterns and modulate precipitation volume and intensity.