CAREER: Advancing predictive understanding of hydrologic exchange in the river corridor

目前，预测和管理污染物在河流中的命运和运输所需的具体知识不足。该项目将利用概念性河流廊道视角，将地表水、近地表沉积物、洪泛区、山坡集水区和地下水含水层视为一个连续体。该项目将考虑水、溶质、能量和材料在一系列空间和时间尺度上以及这些不同隔间的交换。该项目侧重于三个主要目标：(1)提高我们对河流走廊动态交换过程的了解；(2)制定方法，将结果从地貌特征扩展到河段和网络规模；(3)提高预测能力，无需对有关地点进行广泛的实地表征即可实施。这项研究的结果将提高我们预测污染物在河流走廊中的传输和去向的能力，从而能够更有效地管理水资源。一体化的教育和研究计划将激励不同的K-12和本科生群体在STEM领域追求职业生涯。该项目的目标是制定一个综合的研究和教育方案，重点是促进对河流走廊的水文交换以及相关的生态系统服务和功能的了解。该项目将利用河流走廊视角，将地表河流、其地下水位带、河岸带、山坡和含水层视为一个连续体，在一系列空间和时间尺度上交换水、溶质、能量和材料。该研究将在单个地貌特征和研究河段的尺度上量化河流廊道交换的时空异质性，并将综合结果建立地质背景下和水文强迫作用下沿自然发生的坡度河流廊道交换的预测关系。本研究将具体解决三个研究问题：(1)地质背景和水文强迫的相对静态特征是什么导致河流廊道交换的可预测变化？(2)河流廊道交换在多大程度上受地质背景和水文强迫的动态相互作用的控制？(3)河流廊道交换的预测关系和模型的可转移性如何？研究工作与教育活动相结合，包括K-12教育，指导高中和本科生研究人员，以及研究生水平的河流走廊科学和管理教学课程。

The specific knowledge necessary to predict and manage the fate and transport of contaminants within rivers is currently inadequate. This project will utilize a conceptual river corridor perspective that considers the surface water, near-surface sediments, the flood zone, the hillslope catchment and contributing groundwater aquifers as a continuum. The project will consider the exchange of water, solutes, energy and materials across a range of spatial and temporal scales and across these various compartments. The project focusses on three primary goals: (1) improve our understanding of dynamic exchange processes in the river corridor; (2) develop methods to scale findings from geomorphic features to the reach and network scales; and (3) improve predictive capacity that can be readily implemented without extensive field characterization of sites of interest. Results of this research will improve our ability to predict the transport and fate of contaminants in river corridors, enabling more effective management of water resources. The integrated education and research plans will inspire a diverse group of K-12 and undergraduate students to pursue careers in STEM fields. The project goal is to develop an integrated program of research and education focused on advancing the understanding of hydrologic exchange in river corridors and the associated ecosystem services and functions. The project will utilize a river corridor perspective that considers the surface stream, its hyporheic zone, riparian zone, hillslope, and aquifer as a continuum, exchanging water, solutes, energy and materials across a range of spatial and temporal scales. The proposed research will quantify spatial and temporal heterogeneity in river corridor exchange at the scale of individual geomorphic features and study reaches, and will synthesize results to develop predictive relationships of river corridor exchange along naturally occurring gradients in geologic setting and under hydrologic forcing. This research will specifically address three research questions: (1) What relatively static characteristics of geologic setting and hydrologic forcing cause predictable variation in river corridor exchange?; (2) To what extent is river corridor exchange controlled by the dynamic interaction between geologic setting and hydrologic forcing?; and (3) How transferrable are predictive relationships and models of river corridor exchange? Research efforts are integrated with educational activities including K-12 education, mentoring high-school and undergraduate researchers, and teaching courses on River Corridor Science and Management at the graduate level.