Winter 2007/2008 in Silverton

Infrastructure for Investigating and Monitoring
Colorado Mountain System Sensitivity to Regional Climate Change at the Edge of the Colorado Plateau
Chris Landry – Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies
Tom Painter – Department of Geography, University of Utah
Andrew Barrett – National Snow and Ice Data Center
Jason Neff – Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Lab, University of Colorado
Corey Lawrence – Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Lab, University of Colorado
Sarah Castle – Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Lab, University of Colorado
Heidi Steltzer – Natural Resource Ecology Lab, Colorado State University
Hans Peter Marshall – INSTAAR, University of Colorado
MTNCLIM - 2008

Mountain System Monitoring
Hosting Snow System Research
Conducting Snow System Research
Supporting Snow System Field Education

Mandates for Mountain System Research & Monitoring
2001
2005
2006

Senator Beck Basin Study Area
Est. by Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies – 2003
Special Use Permit with GMUG National Forest

Looking South
Looking West
Photo courtesy JPL (Ian McCubbin)

Senator Beck Basin Study Area
* * *
S BSG
719 acres
290 ha

Senator Beck Study Plot
12,200’ (3719 m)
SBSP Instrumentation
10 m Mast
CR10X Dataloggers (2), Multiplexer (1)
Wind Speed & Direction (2)
Air Temp and RH (2)
Height of Snow
Broadband SW (2 up, 1 down, shadow array)
NIR SW (1 up, 1 down)
Pyrgeometer (1 up)
Infrared Snow Surface Temp
Snow Temperature (5)
Snow Wetness (2)
Soil Temperature (4)
Soil Volumetric Water Content
Soil Heat Flux

Swamp Angel Study Plot
11,050’ (3368 m)
SASP Instrumentation
6 m Mast
CR10X Dataloggers (2), Multiplexer (1)
ETI Precipitation Gauge
Wind Speed & Direction (2)
Air Temp and RH (2)
Barometric Pressure
Height of Snow
Broadband SW (2 up, 1 down, shadow array)
NIR SW (1 up, 1 down)
Pyrgeometer (1 up)
Infrared Snow Surface Temp
Snow Temperature (5)
Snow Wetness Sensors (2)
Soil Temperature (4)
Soil Volumetric Water Content
Soil Heat Flux
Experimental Lysimeter

April 12, 2008
HS = 2.89 m

Hosting
Robotic Sun-Tracking
Photometer
(Cimel) for
Painter/NASA/AERONET
Swamp Angel Study Plot
2 nd Highest AERONET Site in World see: Red_Mountain_Pass

Putney Study Plot
Stream Gauge
AERONET
Swamp Angel Study Plot

Putney Study Plot
12,325’ (3757 m)
PTSP Instrumentation
10 m Mast
CR10X Datalogger
Wind Speed & Direction
Air Temp and RH
(“Free air” data also used by operationally by
Colorado Avalanche Information Center,
CDOT, NWS-GJT)
(private property)
Also at Putney
GPS Base Station - RG20 for
University of Colorado Rio Grande Rift
Research

SBSG Instrumentation
Broad-crested, notched weir
0.1 – 30 cfs capacity
CR10 Datalogger
Stage – Druck transducer
Stage – HOBOs (2)
Stage – staff gauge
Water Temp and Conductivity
Senator Beck Stream
Gauge
11,030’ (3362 m)

“Baseline Study”
Summer 2004
Peggy Lyon
Colorado Natural Heritage Program
100’ Transect Locations
(10 Daubenmire frames each)

Sub-Alpine (3350 m) to Alpine (4000m)
Plant Community Inventory http://www.snowstudies.org/beckbaselinestudy.html
• 23 100-foot transects
• 230 0.10m
2 samples
• Three elevation bands Repeat Study 2009

http://www.snowstudies.org/data.html

Snow System Research
Radiative Effects of Desert
Dust Deposits in Alpine Snow
E
Atmospheric Sciences, Geography, and
Hydrologic Sciences
Grants ATM-0432327 to NSIDC, DON
Tom Painter – PI
NSIDC (now Univ. of Utah)
Andrew Barrett – Co-I
NSIDC
Chris Landry – PI
CSAS

Refining the Snowmelt Energy Budget
W/m 2
Dusty Snow Surface – Senator Beck Basin 2005

Dust Alert Customers:
Southwestern WCD
Colorado River WCD
Tri-County WCD
Rio Grande WCD
Upper Gunnison River WCD
Denver Water
Western Water Assessment
GRL, Vol. 24, No. 12,
28 June 2007
• Kathleen McBride, MA Thesis: A Synoptic Climatology for Dust Deposition to the Snowpack in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, U.S.A
; Northern Arizona University, Rural Geography, 2007

Associated ‘Dust Theme’ Research
Co-Hosting (with MSI) Jason Neff and Univ. of Colorado Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Lab Students
Corey Lawrence Sarah Castle

Snowpack Measurement Test-Bed … Snowmelt Modeling Test Bed
SWE Sampling Design Test Bed

Hans Peter Marshall - FMCW Radar Research
Hosting NASA-Funded INSTAAR Project

“SAG” Pilot Project with Heidi Steltzer, NREL
Climate change manipulations in alpine ecosystem

Snow System Research & Monitoring Synergies at SBBSA
¾ Interdisciplinary, integrated, catchment-scale research venue for ...
•
•
Any [snow-driven] mountain system process
Any mountain system researcher – academic, agency, practitioner
¾ “Sentry Site” for climate change effects in Southwest US ...
• Monitoring mountain system ‘state’
– Snowpack, hydrology, plants, soils, energy budget …
• Monitoring ecological services
– Climate change effects on regional water supplies
¾ Data source for ...
• Mountain processes researchers
• Climate change researchers
• Primary, Secondary, Higher Ed
• NOAA/NWS – MADIS, WRCC, CRBFC
• Colorado and Regional Water Stakeholders/Managers
• Colorado Avalanche Information Center, SJON www.snowstudies.org