IRES: US-Mexico Collaboration on Hydrological Studies of the North American Monsoon: A Synthesis of Field Experiments, Remote Sensing, and Hydrological Modeling

Vivoni国际学生研究经验奖（IRES）将支持新墨西哥矿业与技术研究所的Enrique R. Vivoni博士与墨西哥埃莫西约索诺拉大学的Christopher J. Watts博士合作进行研究。研究人员打算进行水文研究，以增加我们对北美季风的了解。尽管这种季节性气候现象控制着美国西南部和墨西哥西北部的降雨、河流和植被的分布，但人们对它知之甚少。由于夏季风可占该地区年降雨量的70%，因此迫切需要进行两国研究，以适当地表征降水、土壤湿度和河流流量等水文变量的时空变化。对于这个IRES提案，研究人员将促进早期职业科学家的两国研究，促进对水文领域方法的学习，并提高对北美季风期间水文过程时空变异性的理解。美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室和地球科学部将为该研究提供资金。合作伙伴将为该项目提供补充技能，该项目包括以下几个组成部分：(a)在墨西哥进行仪器部署和数据收集的实地项目；(b)在实地研究之前和之后对本科生进行研究培训；(c)在实地环境中促进实践和团队学习的指导活动。教育活动将扩大索诺拉大学与新墨西哥矿业和技术研究所之间的合作，以加强该项目的长期影响。研究结果将通过公开演讲、网络材料和研究出版物传播。

0553852VivoniThis International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) award will support Dr. Enrique R. Vivoni of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in a research collaboration with Dr. Christopher J. Watts of the Universidad de Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico. The researchers intend to conduct hydrological studies aimed at increasing our understanding of the North American monsoon. Despite the fact that this seasonal climate phenomenon controls the distribution of rainfall, streamflow and vegetation in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, little is known about it. As the summer monsoon can account for up to 70% of the annual rainfall in the region, there is a pressing need for binational studies that properly characterize the spatial and temporal variability in hydrologic variables such as precipitation, soil moisture, and streamflow. For this IRES proposal, the researchers will promote binational research for early career scientists, stimulate learning of hydrologic field methods, and lead to an improved understanding of the spatiotemporal variability of hydrologic processes during the North American monsoon. The Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Earth Sciences of NSF will contribute funds for the research.The collaborators will bring complementary skills to the project with a program that includes various components: (a) a field program in Mexico for instrument deployment and data collection, (b) research training for undergraduate students prior to and after the field study, and (c) mentoring activities to promote hands-on, team-based learning in a field setting. Educational activities will expand collaborations between the Universidad de Sonora and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to enhance the long-term impacts of the project. Results will be disseminated through public presentations, web-based materials, and research publications.