Mountain Snowpack Hydrology

世界各地的山区是重要的水源，而雪是高海拔水文循环的关键组成部分。山区积雪的潜在快速和加速变化将对下游的物理、生物和人类系统产生连锁影响。然而，我们目前对山区积雪和融雪的时空变异性的了解有限，这阻碍了我们处理气候变化的水文影响的能力。在NSERC发现基金的支持下，我的山区积雪水文学(MOSH)研究小组将专注于地方、地区和全球的山区积雪，作为长期研究计划的一部分。MOSH研究小组将重点关注三个相互关联的主题。首先，我们将在拟建的瓦勒蒙特冰川度假区建立一个多学科的山区天文台，并对山区积雪进行详细的实地研究。其次，我们将通过分析历史积雪观测，以及定向遥控飞机系统(RPAS，或无人机)和光探测和测距(LiDAR)研究，对加拿大西部的雪气候进行细粒度的了解。MOSH的第三个研究主题将侧重于从遥感和建模角度看基本上未受监测的山区盆地中的雪。山区积雪变化与年际气候变异性和长期趋势有关；因此，对山区积雪模式和融化过程的更好观察和了解将在广泛的应用中推动我们关于气候变化影响的理论。这些应用包括冰川质量平衡、永久冻土融化和山脉灾害、业务水文学、旅游、森林火灾危害和大范围大气环流变化。随着高海拔山区天文台的建立和MOSH实验室的发展，UNBC和加拿大西部将成为山区研究的焦点。通过我的探索奖助金基金培训的高素质人员(HQP；2个博士、3个硕士、4个理科)将在实地工作、遥感、地理空间处理和分析以及技术写作方面发展可翻译和可雇用的技能。我的研究计划将增进我们对山区积雪过去、现在和未来潜在变化的了解，支持和扩大富有成效的合作网络，并将拓宽和提高我们对高海拔地区的变化及其下游影响的理解。

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.