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

冬季积雪时空分布的改变可能是美国西部目前和未来最大的气候影响。规划的WATERS网络必须设计为解决这种扰动的当前和潜在的水文影响。这个拟议的WATERS测试平台项目旨在利用中蛇水文观测站来解决西部山区积雪状况变化的水文影响，该观测站是由爱达荷州博伊西附近的蛇河平原两侧的雷诺兹河实验流域（RCEW）和干溪实验流域（DCEW）合作形成的。该提案的前提是，了解气候变化对美国西部半干旱山区的水文影响，需要了解积雪分布、景观特性和土壤水分动态之间的关系。他们的核心问题是：在复杂地形下，早期融雪和雨雪过渡带的向上迁移将如何影响春季土壤干涸模式？他们将用空间代替时间的方法来评估这个问题。具体来说，他们提出，未来气候引起的积雪时空分布变化对土壤水分动态的影响可以通过评估当前海拔梯度的差异来推断。关键问题将通过三个具体目标来解决，另外一个目标是将项目与社区研究综合起来：1)确定生理和气候对雪的时空分布和雨雪过渡的控制；2)确定跨高程梯度的积雪与土壤水分动态之间的山坡尺度联系；3)建立融雪/土壤水分耦合动力学模型，验证理论与观测的相关性；协调和综合MSHO的社区研究。他们认为，水文观测站网络在利用资金来源和为由外部资助的科学家领导的项目提供增值资源方面将面临挑战。他们建议，观测站网络的设计必须促进社区科学的发展，方法是提供长期的基线水文信息，以及为从事综合研究课题的团队提供最大利益的重点测量，并为专家团队提供资源，这些专家团队将通过为特定项目提供杠杆融资来增加价值。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进行的核心水文气象观测，并且都主持了许多与所提出的关键问题相关的外部资助项目。pi将通过利用核心度量、利用现有资助的项目，以及向该项目添加新的度量来实现上述每个目标。通过整合和补充沿海拔梯度的研究，他们将展示如何利用水文观测站促进社区科学努力，以解决这一关键的水资源问题。拟议的项目密切基于《水与环境研究系统网络的科学、教育和设计战略》（即SEDS文件）中概述的许多概念。本文提出的积雪变化实验和观测是根据SEDS文件中提出的梯度概念，在一组集群和集水区进行设计的。在WATERS、CLEANER和CUAHSI发表的几乎所有文件中，积雪变化已被确定为一个关键的水文问题。拟议的项目遵循WATERS网络概念设计原则，整合多个观测站（RCEW和DCEW），使用CUAHSI网络基础设施，应用新的传感器技术，将新的建模策略与观测相结合，建立大学和联邦机构之间的合作，并实施教育和外展计划。除了测试和演示WATERS概念外，该项目还将有助于更好地了解美国西部的气候变化影响。

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.