Collaborative Research (IRES Track I): A Multi-Faceted Approach for Understanding Hydrologic Controls on Transmission Losses in Dryland Environments

该IRES项目由国际科学与工程办公室（OISE）和水文科学计划（GEO/EAR）共同资助。第一部分：水资源对健康和可持续发展至关重要，特别是在中东和北非等干旱地区。水资源管理战略需要科学知识、物理观察和文化敏感性，以确保长期可持续性。该项目将培养具有不同背景的美国年轻水文学科学家在国际环境下进行研究、交流研究成果和合作的能力。在三年多的时间里，由学生领导的项目将与摩洛哥的同事一起提高对地下水资源可持续性的理解。了解干旱地区的含水层是如何通过河床的渗透来补充水分的，将使研究人员能够模拟水资源的可用性，并回答有关这种渗透对水质和生态系统服务的影响的问题。通过参加在线培训课程和研讨会、实地数据收集和分析、专业会议和公共宣传，学生将获得“硬”（技术）和“软”（人际关系）技能。第二部分：该IRES项目建议将国际研究项目与文化培训、技术指导和水文专业实践准备相结合，每年为来自美国机构（包括代表性不足的学院和大学）的5名研究生提供水文专业实践准备。该研究考察了干旱流域短暂河道的入渗（传输损失）率和变异性，以测试现代补给是否在这些环境中发生，进一步了解传输损失过程，并检查控制因素。这是佐治亚大学、肯塔基大学、中田纳西州立大学和四所摩洛哥大学之间的合作伙伴关系。三组活动将与研究主题相关联：(1)通过旅行前的在线课程、旅行前在佐治亚大学的研讨会和为期五周的摩洛哥研究之旅来发展技术专长；(2)发展专业联系和技能，包括通过共享平台访问和分发数据、交流科学、撰写拨款提案和学习科学伦理；(3)向公众推广，提高学生的全球意识，并将信息传递给技术用户。我们将通过培训和反馈不断改进指导，并通过形成性和总结性评估来评估学生的学习情况。这项工作的智力价值在于将物理水文学、地球化学、遥感和建模相结合，以确定在不同环境条件下局部到区域尺度的地下水补给。研究人员试图确定(1)山洪暴发和净入渗的时间，(2)输水损失期间土壤湿度、坡度和土壤性质的影响，(3)输水损失期间的入渗是否等于地下水补给，(4)后续降雨对入渗的影响，以及(5)改善未来旱地模型的陆面参数化。社会经济和政治方面的限制、不可达性和/或传输损失的异质性可能会限制对巨大、可持续的新鲜地下水储量的获取。对传输损失的更好理解将使中东和北非等干旱地区的水资源管理者、监管者和规划者做出更好的决策。研究结果将通过与合作者的会议、公共宣传活动、促进水文科学大学联盟（CUAHSI）水数据中心、全球地下水监测网络（GGMN）、美国和摩洛哥的科学报告以及同行评议的出版物来传播。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This IRES project is co-funded by Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) and Hydrologic Sciences programs (GEO/EAR).Part 1: Water resources are critical to health and sustainable development, particularly in arid regions such as theMiddle East and North Africa. Water-resource management strategies require scientific knowledge,physical observations, and cultural sensitivity to ensure long-term sustainability. This program willdevelop the abilities of young US hydrologic scientists with diverse backgrounds to conduct research,communicate their findings, and work collaboratively in an international setting. Over three years,student-led projects with colleagues in Morocco will provide an improved understanding of thesustainability of groundwater resources. Understanding how aquifers are recharged by infiltration throughstreambeds in arid regions will allow researchers to model water-resource availability and answerquestions about the impact of such infiltration on water quality and ecosystem services. Students willacquire both "hard" (technical) and "soft" (interpersonal) skills by participating in online training coursesand a workshop, in field data collection and analysis, and in professional meetings and public outreach.Part 2: This IRES project proposes to integrate international research projects with cultural training, technical instruction, andpreparation for professional practice in hydrology for 5 graduate students each year from US institutions,including underrepresented colleges and universities. The proposed research examines infiltration(transmission-loss) rates and variability within ephemeral channels in arid watersheds to test whethermodern recharge occurs within these settings, further the understanding of transmission-loss processes,and examine controlling factors. This represents a partnership between the University of Georgia (UGA),University of Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State University, and four Moroccan universities. Three setsof activities will be linked to the research theme: (1) developing technical expertise through a pre-triponline course, a pre-trip workshop at UGA, and a 5-week research trip to Morocco; (2) developingprofessional contacts and skills, including accessing and distributing data via shared platforms,communicating science, writing grant proposals, and learning scientific ethics; and (3) conductingoutreach to the general public, increasing students’ global awareness, and transferring information totechnical users. We will pursue continuous improvement of mentoring through training and feedback, andwe will evaluate student learning through both formative and summative assessments.The intellectual merit of this work lies in the integration of physical hydrology, geochemistry, remotesensing, and modeling to determine groundwater recharge at local to regional scales under varyingenvironmental conditions. The researchers seek to determine (1) the timing of flash floods and net infiltration, (2) theeffects of soil moisture, slope, and soil properties during transmission losses, (3) whether infiltrationduring transmission losses is equal to groundwater recharge, and (4) the influence of subsequent rainfallevents on infiltration, as well as (5) improving future land-surface parameterization of models in drylands.Socioeconomic and political constraints, inaccessibility, and/or the heterogeneous nature of transmissionlosses could limit access to vast, sustainable, fresh groundwater reserves. An improved understanding oftransmission losses will lead to better decisions by water managers, regulators, and planners in aridregions such as the Middle East and North Africa. Results will be disseminated through meetings withcollaborators, public outreach activities, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement ofHydrologic Science (CUAHSI) Water Data Center, the Global Groundwater Monitoring Network(GGMN), scientific presentations in the USA and Morocco, and peer-reviewed publications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.