Mountain Snowpack Hydrology

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Mountain regions around the world are vital sources of water, and snow is a critical component of high-elevation hydrologic cycles. Potentially rapid and accelerated changes in mountain snowpacks will have cascading effects on downstream physical, biological, and human systems. Yet our current understanding of the spatial and temporal variability in mountain snow accumulation and snowmelt is limited, and this hinders our ability to address the hydrological impacts of climate change. With the support of an NSERC Discovery Grant, my MOuntain Snow Hydrology (MOSH) research group will focus on local, regional, and global mountain snowpacks as part of a long-term research program. ***The MOSH research group will focus on three interrelated themes. First, we will establish a multi-disciplinary mountain observatory at the proposed Valemount Glaciers Resort, and conduct detailed field studies on mountain snowpacks. Second, we will develop a granular understanding of snow climates in western Canada through analyses of historical snow observations, and targeted Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS, or drone) and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) studies. The third MOSH research theme will focus on snow in largely unmonitored mountain basins from remote sensing and modelling perspectives. Mountain snowpack changes are linked to interannual climate variability and long-term trends; improved observations and understanding of mountain snow accumulation patterns and melt processes will thus advance our theories of climate change impacts across a broad range of applications. These applications include glacier mass balance, permafrost thaw and mountain hazards, operational hydrology, tourism, forest fire hazards, and large scale atmospheric circulation changes.***With the inception of a high-elevation mountain observatory and the development of the MOSH lab, UNBC and western Canada will become a focal point for mountain research. Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP; 2 PhD, 3 MSc, 4 BSc) trained through my Discovery Grant funds will develop translatable and employable skills in field work, remote sensing, geospatial processing and analysis, and technical writing. My research program will advance our knowledge of past, present, and potential future changes in mountain snowpacks, support and expand a productive collaborative network, and will broaden and improve our understanding of changes in high-elevation areas and their downstream impacts.**