CUAHSI Science Plan

Hydrology of a Dynamic Earth

March 2007

Science Goals

• Linking the hydrosphere and the biosphere– Ecohydrology – water in the landscape

• Upscaling hydrologic, biogeochemical and geomorphic processes– Lab, field experiment, regional application

• Predicting the effects of climate change and human development on water resources

Hydrologic Prediction

• A fundamental goal of hydrologic science is to be able to predict the response of water and the entire shallow earth system to human and climate perturbations with a level of confidence approaching those now possible for atmospheric and ocean systems, despite the heterogeneous nature of the continental environment

Continental water dynamics

• Continental water dynamics describes the dynamic interaction of water with climate, landscape, ecosystems and humans (p.7)

• Contrasting complexity of ocean water dynamics and continental water dynamics (p.8)

Hydrologic Science

• Hydrologic science studies the occurrence, distribution, circulation and properties of water, and its interaction with a wide range of physical, chemical and biological processes, acknowledging also the added complexity of social and behavioral sciences (NRC, 1991). (“Blue Book”)

Hydrologic Science

Hydrologic conditions(Fluxes, flows, concentrations)

Hydrologic Process Science(Equations, simulation models, prediction)

Hydrologic Information Science(Observations, data models, visualization

Hydrologic environment(Physical earth)

Physical laws and principles(Mass, momentum, energy, chemistry)

It is as important to represent hydrologic environments precisely with

data as it is to represent hydrologic processes with equations

Opportunities: LIDAR

• Image created from LIDAR data. Note excavation on right (orange and black outlines) caused by a landslide, and the resulting deposits downstream in the Eel river (outlined in blue). Eel River flow is from right to left. Image courtesy of William Dietrich, NCED

Opportunities: web services

Terrestrial Hydrologic Cycle (p.17)

Benchmarking Current Understanding

Surface water, climate, and groundwater monitoring sites in the US

2D and 3D data

Evapotranspiration-Recharge-Snow Arrays (p.26)

Computer Aided Dispute Resolution (p.29)