Mountain Front Hydrology

• Critical Zone Processes - Cliff Riebe, Team Leader

• Mountain Lakes and Climate - Bryan Shuman, Team Leader

• Snowmelt Partitioning - Nori Ohara, Team Leader

• Hydrogeophysics - Steve Holbrook, Team Leader

A major goal of WyCEHG is to gain new insights into mountain front hydrology. We will characterize the processes that control the relative amounts of water that cycle through surface waters, soils, plants, and aquifers. Rivers and basin aquifers in the intermountain west are dependent almost exclusively on water sourced from mountains, but there are large errors in our ability to quantify and predict how water moves through these systems. Experiments will be conducted in model test bed locations throughout the state (Figure).

The mountain front hydrology efforts within WyCEHG will include cross-disciplinary research that includes critical zone processes, snowmelt partitioning, mountain lakes and climate, and hydrogeophysics.

Figure: Locations of planned field work for WyCEHG around the state of Wyoming.