International Research Experiences for Students (IRES): US-Ethiopia Collaboration on Hydrological Studies of Semiarid Regions

拟议研究的目的是在埃塞俄比亚组织和开展实地实验，以研究半干旱地区水文学的主要基本组成部分。每年三个夏天，四名美国本科生和毕业生以及一名教职员工将前往埃塞俄比亚，与埃塞俄比亚同行的学生和教职员工一起进行实地实验。该项目的主要目的是为美国学生提供在国际研究环境中取得成功所需的独特的、国际化的动手体验。实地实验包括一些水文传感器的“动手”培训、实地准备和实验设计(涉及地理信息系统和遥感的地理空间和点数据分析)、数据收集和分析、团队合作以及通过专题介绍和出版物传播知识。由于其半干旱气候、热带地理位置和在生态、地形和土地利用方面的强烈异质性，埃塞俄比亚的研究区(Arbamint)提供了一个令人兴奋的环境，可以研究不同的水文过程，并激发学生对发现驱动的科学的兴趣。拟议的研究活动分为三个主要领域，其结果将对我们理解半干旱地区水文学的关键基本组成部分产生重大影响。具体的科学目标是：1)表征降雨量的局部尺度时空变异性；2)量化基于卫星的蒸散估计的不确定性；3)评估地形、土壤湿度和土地利用在大气相互作用中所起的作用。

The proposed research aims to organize and conduct field experiments in Ethiopia to study the key fundamental components of the hydrology of semiarid regions. Each year for three summers four U.S. undergraduates and graduates and one faculty will travel to Ethiopia to conduct field experiments together with Ethiopian counterpart students and faculty. The main purpose of the program is to provide U.S. students with a unique, international, hands-on experience required for succeeding in international research environment. The field experiment involves 'hands-on' training in a number of hydrological sensors, field preparation and design of experiments (geospatial and point data analysis involving GIS and remote sensing), data collection and analysis, teamwork, and dissemination of knowledge through presentations and publications. On account of its semiarid climate, tropical location and strong heterogeneities in ecology, topography and land use, the study region (Arbaminch) in Ethiopia provides an exciting environment to study different hydrological processes and to stimulate an interest in students for discovery-driven science. The proposed research activities are organized into three major thrust areas, the results from which will have a significant influence in our understanding of the key fundamental components of the hydrology of semiarid regions. The specific science objectives are to: 1) Characterize the local-scale space-time variability of rainfall; 2) Quantify the uncertainty in satellite-based evapotranspiration estimates; and 3) Assess the role played by topography, soil moisture and land use in landatmosphere interactions.