Sponsors: National Science Foundation Grant Award No. 1445889
PI/Co-PIs: Dr. Eylon Shamir (HRC), Dr. David Meko (University of Arizona), Dr. Ramzi Touchan (University of Arizona)
Collaborators: University of Arizona/Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
This is an interdisciplinary research project that combines hydrological and tree-ring data and state-of-the-art modeling practices to improve knowledge of temporal and spatial variability of snowpack, soil moisture, and temperature characteristics at the watershed scale in the North Fork of the American River, which drains into the Sacramento River from the Sierra Nevada of California. Through this project the scientists are exploring the use of new tree species, building collaborations and developing new quantitative techniques that focus on interpreting the information contained in the intra-annual features of tree rings at various locations in the American watershed to estimate seasonal basin scale snowpack-related hydrological fluxes, such as snow accumulation and ablation, soil moisture and temperature and surface air temperature.