Grantee Research Project Results
Multi-Scale Investigation of a Unique Hydroclimatic Transition Zone in the Western U.S.A.
EPA Grant Number: F6C20121Title: Multi-Scale Investigation of a Unique Hydroclimatic Transition Zone in the Western U.S.A.
Investigators: Wise, Erika Kristine
Institution: University of Arizona
EPA Project Officer: Lee, Sonja
Project Period: August 1, 2006 through July 31, 2009
Project Amount: $108,838
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (2006) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Fellowship - Geography , Climate Change , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of how climate variability interacts with water supply availability in the western United States. This study will be conducted in a region of the Rocky Mountains containing an important hydroclimatic transition zone that has significant implications for Western water supply. Linking information obtained from tree-ring based streamflow reconstructions to climatic conditions and global circulation patterns will provide a better understanding of the causes of low- and high-flow years within and between water basins – a vital component of mitigating drought and flood impacts.
Approach:
I will assess hydroclimatic variability at three nested scales. First, I will conduct watershed-scale spatial modeling of precipitation and streamflow and tree-ring based climate reconstruction of two near-by sites on opposite sides of the continental divide. Next, I will incorporate previously-collected data for a regional-scale examination of hydroclimatic relationships at the boundary between the Intermountain and Rocky Mountain West. The understanding of controlling processes gained through these first two steps will then be used to link West-wide circulation patterns to local hydrologic responses. This research will be accomplished through the integration of Geographic Information Systems and spatial analysis tools with climatology and tree-ring techniques.
Expected Results:
The climatically-sensitive area examined in this study should provide insight into global change issues, such as whether the current climate is within the range of natural climate variability, if changing tree growth-climate relationships are linked to an earlier onset of spring, and how broader atmospheric circulation patterns vary over space and time in the West.
Supplemental Keywords:
climate variability, dendrochronology, tree rings, continental divide, teleconnections, El Niño, ENSO, precipitation, streamflow reconstruction, dendroclimatology, drought, GIS, western United States, hydroclimatic, spatial analysis, synoptic climatology,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, climate change, Air Pollution Effects, Environmental Monitoring, Atmosphere, ecosystem models, water resources, streamflow sensitivity, modeling, climate models, climate variability, environmental historyProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.