Alpine hydrogeology: Building a scientific framework for groundwater in alpine headwaters

世界上近一半的人口依靠发源于高山的河流供水。在漫长的干旱或寒冷季节，这些河流的基流量对淡水生态系统以及下游地区的饮用水供应、灌溉、水电发电和许多其他用水至关重要。这些河流的高山源头产生不成比例的大量径流，因为与较低山区的森林地带相比，高降雨量和低蒸散量造成了不成比例的大量径流。由于全球变暖预计将减少高山积雪并耗尽冰川，高山含水层将在储存融水和雨水并在基流期间逐渐释放它们方面发挥越来越重要的作用，从而可能缓冲气候变化的影响。然而，由于在崎岖的高山环境中缺乏详细的水文地质研究，目前对高山含水层的了解有限。因此，这项研究计划的总体目标是开发一个科学框架，以了解和量化高山源头集水区的地下水储量。为了实现这一目标，我的研究小组将对加拿大落基山脉的地下水进行实地研究，以确定高山地区常见的含水层类型，并制定方法估计这些含水层中储存的地下水数量和储存时间(即含水层特征)。我们还将开发利用现有的地质和地形信息在河流流域范围内评估含水层特征的方法，并建立预测气候变化对河流基流影响的水文模型。通过与来自亚洲、欧洲和南美洲的国际合作伙伴合作，我们将开发一个包含世界各地山脉的共同特征的框架，因此可以在全球范围内移植到具有不同地质和气候条件的山区。新的科学框架和模型将为依赖山区河流的地区的水资源管理提供关键信息和工具。

Nearly half of the world's population depends on rivers originating in high mountains for water supply. Baseflow of these rivers during a long dry or cold season is critical for freshwater ecosystems and for drinking water supply, irrigation, hydropower generation, and many other water uses in downstream regions. Alpine headwaters of these rivers generate a disproportionately large amount of runoff due to high precipitation and low evapotranspiration compared to forested zones in lower parts of the mountains. As global warming is expected to reduce alpine snowpack and deplete glaciers, alpine aquifers will play increasingly important roles in storing meltwater and rain water and gradually releasing them during the baseflow period, thereby potentially buffering the effects of climate change. However, the current understanding of alpine aquifers is limited due to a lack of detailed hydrogeological studies in rugged alpine environments. Therefore, the overarching goal of this research program is to develop a scientific framework for understanding and quantifying groundwater storage in alpine headwater catchments. To achieve the goal, my research team will conduct field-based studies of groundwater in the Canadian Rockies to identify common types of aquifers in alpine regions and develop methods to estimate the amount of groundwater stored in these aquifers and how long it is stored (i.e. aquifer characteristics). We will also develop the methods to estimate the aquifer characteristics at a scale of river basins using available information on geology and topography, and build hydrological models for predicting the influence of climate change on river baseflow. By working with international collaborators from Asia, Europe, and South America, we will develop a framework that encompasses the common characteristics of mountain ranges around the world and hence, is globally transferrable to mountainous regions having different geological and climatic conditions. The new scientific framework and models will provide the critical information and tools for water resource management in the regions dependent on mountain rivers.