New Mexico EPSCoR RII3: Climate Change Impacts on New Mexico's Mountain Sources of Water

目标：该研究基础设施改进奖旨在通过加强仪器和建模基础设施来改进高海拔水文气候学的观测建模和分析。第二个目标是解决具有全球意义的关键状态问题？了解和预测气候变化对干旱地区供水和水质的影响。气候变化正在影响世界各地的自然环境。在新墨西哥州，气候变化正在改变与供水相关的过程，供水支撑着新墨西哥州的经济，并在很大程度上决定着生活质量。这一多学科的努力将改变新墨西哥州的气候变化科学和政策制定，为该州面临的困难的水资源政策选择提供定量、科学驱动的讨论所需的工具，并将创造一个了解气候变化及其对自然资源影响的公民。项目主要焦点：这项研究将解决大尺度大气环流对区域和当地大气过程的影响，并探索水文气象波动如何传播到地表流向下游的变化。鉴于北美西南部与全球耦合模式预测相关的不确定性，该研究将检查这些预测中降水和陆地异常的协变性，因为它们与西南部有关。在当前气候条件下，与高海拔积雪有关的陆地-大气反馈对于调节冬季降水向夏季降水的过渡可能具有重要意义。因此，描述和正确模拟冬季积雪地区的整个季节性水文循环对于基于过程的分析和新墨西哥州河流流量的预测至关重要。这一提议的动机是什么？S将重点放在新墨西哥州北部格兰德河的上游部分。拟议的研究基础设施改进将使科学家能够观察分水岭规模的过程，并了解气候变化对干旱地区供水、水源和水质的影响。新墨西哥州EPSCoR建议从战略上投资建设强大的水文基础设施，以更好地了解高海拔事件与下游供水的关系。这种能力是有意义的预测和决策支持所必需的。新的网络基础设施将支持多尺度建模，并向科学家、教育工作者、决策者和公众快速提供气候变化数据和信息。广泛影响新墨西哥州EPSCoR研究重点具有全球科学和社会重要性。对研究、网络基础设施和人力基础设施的投资将把新墨西哥州打造成气候变化实验室和能够服务于科学和社会的以科学为基础的公共政策的典范。教育、外展和多样性计划将造就一个了解气候变化及其对自然资源影响的公民群体。

Goals: This Research Infrastructure Improvement award seeks to improve observational modeling and analysis of high elevation hydroclimatology by strengthening the instrumentation and modeling infrastructure. A second goal is to address a critical state problem with global significance ? understanding and forecasting the effects of climate change on water supply and water quality in arid regions. Climate changes are affecting natural environments around the world. In New Mexico, climate changes are altering processes associated with water supply, which sustains New Mexico?s economy and determines, to a large extent, the quality of life. This multidisciplinary effort will transform climate change science and policymaking in New Mexico by providing the tools required for quantitative, science-driven discussion of difficult water policy options facing the state, and will create a citizenry that is informed about climate change and its impact on natural resources.Project Major Foci: The research will address the influence of large scale atmospheric circulations on regional and local atmospheric processes and explore how hydrometeorological fluctuations propagate into changes in surface flows downstream.Given the uncertainties associated with global coupled model projections across southwestern North America, the research will examine the covariability of precipitation and land anomalies in these projections as they relate to the Southwest. Land-atmosphere feedbacks associated with snowpack at high elevation may be of first-order importance in modulating the transition from winter to summer precipitation in the current climate. Thus, characterizing and properly simulating the full seasonal hydrological cycle in regions with winter snowpack is critical for process-based analysis and for projections of stream flows in New Mexico, motivating the proposal?s focus on the upstream portion of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico.Intellectual MeritThe impacts of climate change on New Mexico are profound and are altering processes associated with the water supply for the region. Proposed research infrastructure improvements will enable scientists to observe processes at the watershed scale and to understand the effects of climate change on water supply, water sources, and water quality in arid regions. New Mexico EPSCoR proposes to strategically invest in building a robust hydrologic infrastructure to develop a better understanding of the relationship of high elevation events to downstream water supplies. This capability is needed for meaningful forecasting and decision support. New cyberinfrastructure will support multi-scale modeling and rapid delivery of climate change data and information to scientists, educators, decision-makers, and the public.Broader ImpactsNew Mexico EPSCoR research foci are of global scientific and societal importance. The investment in research, cyberinfrastructure and human infrastructure will establish New Mexico as a laboratory for climate change and a model for science-based public policy that can serve science and society. Education, outreach and diversity programs will create a citizenry that is informed about climate change and its impact on natural resources.