The Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology and ...€¦ · cog in the gearworks of the overall WyCEHG mission. Being part of a research initiative such as WyCEHG, ... group to

The Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology and Geophysics

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A center of excellence in environmental hydrology and geophysics that serves water science and watershed management in Wyoming by providing cutting-edge tools to managers, scientists and educators in the public and private sectors.

Directors’ Update

This newest issue of The Keg marks the beginning of WyCEHG’s second academic year. In this issue we highlight the incredible pace of activities in the center over the past few months. September was the most hectic month yet for WyCEHG and Wyoming EPSCoR: we were vetted by two outside review panels (AAAS and NSF), conducted our first airborne geophysical survey, hosted NSF’s Becoming the Messenger workshop, conducted field work in California’s Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory, continued to build field sites in the Laramie and Snowy Range, held regular all-hands and leadership meetings, and our students participated in a conference and a job fair.

We hope you’ll appreciate the breadth and depth of WyCEHG activities in The Keg, from our industry internship program to our innovative Wyoming Water in the Classroom program with the Teton Science School. We are proud of the progress we’ve made as we proceed into Year 2 of WyCEHG, and we expect a rapid pace of exciting discoveries in the years ahead.

We always look forward to hearing from you if you have questions, comments, or project ideas. Enjoy!

-Steve Holbrook and Scott Miller, Co-Directors

Science Corner: Snow Studies ………... p. 2

Community College Training Program……. p. 2

The Geophysics Team……………………. p. 3

The Bill Nye Facility ……………………. p. 4

Community College Update…………… p. 5

New Arrivals……………………………….p. 5

WyCEHG Review Panels……...….………. p. 6

Industry Connections…………..…. ……. p. 7

Southern Sierra Field Work……….. p. 8

Becoming the Messenger………….. p. 8

Airborne Geophysics……………… p. 9

All-Hands Meetings………………… p. 9

Teton Science School………………. p 10

From the EPSCoR Office……………p. 11

Upcoming Events and Deadlines…... p. 12

The Keg: WyCEHG NewsletterVol. 2, No. 1, Oct. 2013

In This Issue


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Getting to the Bottom of Snow: The Snow Hydrology Team Many activities in WyCEHG address snow processes, which are a cornerstone of hydrology in the Rocky Mountains. Although snow distribution is influenced by factors such as topography, vegetation, and atmospheric forcing, we focus on two main themes: the vegetation effect on snowmelt and snow redistribution by wind and gravity. It is well-known that snow is significantly influenced by the forest canopy; therefore, snow models must incorporate the vegetation cover effect. For example, as the vegetation canopy blocks incoming solar radiation and drastically reduces the wind speed, snow in the forest generally melts slower than snow in open areas. By combining field measurements on the snow, weather data, and vegetation characteristics with a fine-tuned snow model, we can evaluate the impact of forest cover change (e.g., bark beetles or fires) on snow at the watershed scale.

In addition, the effects of wind on snow are not negligible in Wyoming. While snowmelt can be fairly accurately estimated given known atmospheric forcing, the accuracy of snow accumulation estimation in windy areas is highly questionable. In fact, most existing snow models assume that snow does not move throughout the season once it reaches the ground. However, it’s common knowledge among Wyomingites that snow is redistributed by wind. Unfortunately, we do not have a fast and reliable algorithm for wind-driven snow transport process for watershed-scale application. Existing snow transport models are applicable only for short simulation periods, for an equilibrium state, or under idealized computational conditions. Therefore, much research is necessary to improve the predictability of the snow accumulation processes. Through field measurements using geophysical equipment and optical scanning systems, snow redistribution will be characterized and finally incorporated in the snow model in a process-based manner.

The snow modeling group, led by Dr. Nori Ohara, has applied a spatially distributed numerical snow model to the Upper Little Laramie River watershed, Snowy Range, to integrate the findings in the field measurements. The model solves the depth-averaged energy and mass balance equations at every grid cell in the model domain using supercomputers at the Advanced Research Computing Center (ARCC). An example model output is shown in the figure at right. The historical weather conditions required in the snow model applications have been reconstructed using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model based on the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data. This modeling effort is expected to expand the scientific findings through WyCEHG to the rest of the Rocky Mountain watersheds.

-Nori Ohara, Dept. of Civil and Architectural Engineering

The Keg October 2013

Science Corner

Modeled snow distribution in Upper Little Laramie River watershed in May 1st, 2010. Brown: almost no snow, Light green & blue: shallow snow, white: deep snow > 1m


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The Geophysics Team Accomplishing WyCEHG’s ambitious goals for field-based science means acquiring a lot of near-surface geophysical data - much more than the geophysics faculty and grad students could possibly do on their own. To tackle the challenge, we’ve adopted a few unique strategies to keep the data pipeline flowing. One of these strategies is training students in all disciplines in the use of the geophysical equipment. A core philosophy of WyCEHG is distributed, interdisciplinary learning and research - we empower botanists and soil physicists to incorporate geophysical data into their research programs.

Nevertheless, the large-scale geophysical characterization of entire watersheds requires a different level of activity - and in WyCEHG, the lion’s share of hydrogeophysics field work falls to a team of students, mostly consisting of UW undergraduates, that have learned the care and keeping of the FINSE geophysical equipment. During the summer of 2013, this team spent 3-4 days per week in the field, collecting critical data in our target watersheds in the Laramie and Snowy ranges. As a result, we now have an excellent data base of geophysical information in our focus sites in hand, at the early stages of our work. In addition, the team traveled to California to collect data in the Southern Sierra CZO, as described later in this newsletter.

We expect to continue the tradition of having a full-time geophysics team every summer. It’s a great experience for the students involved (just look at the smiles on those faces!), and the team provides an essential service to all the WyCEHG science teams. Team member Matt Provart, a UW undergraduate student majoring in mathematics, sums up the WyCEHG experience this way: “This experience has renewed my academic drive and propelled me towards professional avenues that will surely bring me joy in the future. The entire WyCEHG team is an incredible pleasure to work with. The staff and educators involved prioritize improving our academic and professional toolsets; this allows our group to feel like a cog in the gearworks of the overall WyCEHG mission. Being part of a research initiative such as WyCEHG, with such a grand, overarching goal, is the kind of experience that can shape a person. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity and hope to continue working with this amazing group of individuals.”


Geophysics team members Ryan Epperly and Adam Johnson plan a magnetic gradiometer survey in the

Laramie Range.

In August, the geophysics team spent five days on a “geophysics camping trip” in the No-Name watershed, Snowy Range. The geophysics gear arrayed in front of the team includes seismic,

electrical resistivity, and magnetic instrumentation. Team members include (L-R) Mike McClure, Patrick Flaherty, Matt

Provart, Brady Flinchum and Ryan Armstrong.


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Where Do We Keep Our Stuff? - The Bill Nye Facility

When discussing WyCEHG, we are often asked, “where is the WyCEHG building?” Although WyCEHG doesn’t have its own building for people, we do have special space dedicated to all the geophysical and hydrological instrumentation we’re acquiring. Thanks to a generous donation of space by UW’s Department of Geology and Geophysics, WyCEHG has a terrific facility for storing our equipment, conducting training, and staging field work. The building is located a few blocks south of campus, at 1220 Bill Nye Ave.

Both the geophysical (FINSE) and hydrological (SSHL) facilities have space at the Bill Nye facility, including locked rooms for valuable instrumentation, benches for instrument testing, high-bay doors, a machine shop, and parking for field vehicles. We couldn’t ask for better space for our facilities.


Got Writing Skills?

- Enter the “Water in Wyoming” Contest!

WyCEHG is partnering with the UW Creative Writing MFA program and Wyoming EPSCoR to sponsor a writing contest on the theme of “Water in Wyoming.” The contest will award $500 prizes to undergraduate and graduate student winners, publish an anthology of winning essays, and hold a public reading of selected essays. The contest is part of our Communicating About Water program. The deadline for entries is February 21, 2014.

FINSE facility manager Brad Carr conducts a training session for students and faculty from Casper College and Central Wyoming College in WyCEHG’s Bill Nye facility.


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New ArrivalsKevin Hyde, Postdoc

In August WyCEHG welcomed aboard new postdoc Kevin Hyde, who recently finished his Ph.D. in forest hydrology at the University of Montana. Kevin’s expertise is in the hydrological response of forested watersheds to changes driven by climate and vegetation patterns. During his PhD work, Kevin focused on the

effects of vegetation disturbance and landscape morphology on severe erosion following wildfire. Prior to grad school, Kevin had a stunning array of jobs, ranging from professional photographer to commercial diver to admissions officer for Bard College, as well as a stint working for the U.S. Forest Service. Kevin says, “The complexity of environmental problems compels us to transcend discipline boundaries. I’m here to help advance our understanding of Wyoming’s water resource systems and to learn how to work effectively on interdisciplinary teams. I’m discovering a fine group of folks with whom to do this work.”

Evan Kipnis, M.S. Student Evan Kipnis joined WyCEHG as an M.S. student in late Spring 2013. Evan came from the University of Arizona in Tucson where he received a B.S. in Natural Resources, Watershed Hydrology and Management. He has received two awards for the presentation of his undergraduate research on Sonoran Desert ecohydrology and phenology. Evan is working with the Dave Williams lab group to study snow hydrology using environmental stable isotopes. He is helping to organize this winter’s snow surveys in the Medicine Bow Range, WY. Evan is enthusiastic to be a member of the WyCEHG team and is looking forward to presenting snow isotope data from WyCEHG’s 2012-2013 snow surveys at the 2013 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.


Community College Update In August, a few WyCEHGers traveled to Thermopolis to work with Professor Suki Smaglik and students Ruth Law and Miranda Nading from Central Wyoming College. The goal of the survey was to determine whether ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data could image the travertine deposits that form around the hot springs that Thermopolis is famous for. The team used FINSE’s new Mala GPR system (the 250 MHz antenna version is shown in the picture at right). The survey was successful: the GPR images show the detailed structure of travertine deposits down to depths of ~8 meters.

Central Wyoming College student Miranda Nading

operates the ground-penetrating radar (no, she is not mowing the grass…).


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WyCEHG Undergoes First-Year Reviews WyCEHG was reviewed by three distinct review exercises in the space of seven weeks. These reviews are required by the terms of our National Science Foundation award, and they’ll happen regularly throughout the five-year course of the Track-1 award. It is certainly incumbent on us to demonstrate that the U.S. taxpayer is getting good value for the substantial investment in WyCEHG.

Each of the review panels provided (or will provide) thoughtful and important feedback on our programs. We are incorporating the advice we’ve received so far into our action plans as we enter Year 2 of our grant. We’re very grateful to all the panelists who volunteered their time and energy to help make WyCEHG better.

External Advisory Committee In August, we held a three-hour cyberconference with our External Advisory Committee (EAC). The EAC is charged with providing scientific oversight and advice for WyCEHG, through annual meetings. The EAC consists of eight distinguished scientists in fields relevant to WyCEHG: Andrew Binley (hydrogeophysics, Univ. of Lancaster), John Bradford (hydrogeophysics, Boise State University), Mari Eggers (water quality, Little Big Horn College), Ty Ferré (hydrogeophysics, Univ. of Arizona), Bill Michener (ecohydrology, Univ. of New Mexico), Christa Peters-Lidard (hydrology, NASA), Zong-Liang Yang (hydrological modeling, Univ. of Texas), and Judy van Houten (chair, hydrology, Univ. of Vermont).

The EAC meeting consisted of three hours of presentations by WyCEHG faculty and EPSCoR staff, followed by an hour of private discussion by the committee. The committee then sent a report with advice and suggestions. A primary suggestion was to enhance cross-disciplinary communication within WyCEHG by making the science themes, rather than the science teams, the central organizing structure. We’ve incorporated that advice into reinvigorated, regular all-hands meetings (described later in this newsletter).

The August teleconference was our first official EAC activity; a top WyCEHG priority for Year 2 is to schedule a site visit for the EAC to come to Wyoming and meet WyCEHG faculty, postdocs, students, and staff.

AAAS Review Panel For four days in early September, WyCEHG and the EPSCoR office hosted a four-person panel from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS - yes, the group that publishes Science). This group got a real Wyoming experience, driving from one corner of the state (Jackson) to the other (Laramie). The panel consisted of Brian McGlynn (Duke Univ.), Terri Hogue (Colorado School of Mines), Lee Williams (Univ. of Oklahoma) and Heather McInnis (AAAS). The panelists spent a day in Jackson hearing about WyCEHG’s collaboration with the Teton Science School, then traveled to Riverton to hear about our community college program, then spent a day in Laramie, where they toured WyCEHG facilities and heard presentations by WyCEHG and EPSCoR staff.

While we await a final report, the AAAS panel did share some initial observations and recommendations. The tenor of the initial feedback was positive, with no major course corrections recommended; the main message was to strengthen and integrate what we’ve begun. In addition, the AAAS panel heartily endorsed the core WyCEHG vision of linking near-surface geophysics with hydrology.

NSF Reverse Site Visit The culmination of our current review process was our first Reverse Site Visit at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA, on Sept. 26. Six people from UW made the trip; four of us tag-teamed a 90-minute presentation on WyCEHG, which was followed by an hour of questions from a peer review panel. We have only received informal feedback at this stage. We look forward to receiving the full RSV report, which we’ll report on in a future newsletter.



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Industry ConnectionsWyCEHG Internship Program An important goal of WyCEHG is to help build a trained workforce in hydrology and hydrogeophysics that can serve Wyoming and the region. A key element in that program is our industry internship program. The internship program operates as a simple exhange: an

environmental engineering company hires a WyCEHG student intern at their expense, and in return they receive access to our state-of-the-art equipment for use in a project of their choosing.

WyCEHG’s internship program got off to a successful start in 2013, as WyCEHG PhD student James St. Clair spent the summer

working for Lowham Walsh in Lander, Wyoming. James worked on an abandoned mine lands project in Campbell County, the goal of which was to locate abandoned mine tunnels that pose subsidence hazards. James introduced electrical resistivity profiling to the project, and successfully imaged subsurface voids that would have been very difficult to find with other methods.

(Subsurface voids are excellent targets for the resistivity method, since they are filled with air, which is highly resistive to the flow of electrical current.) James presented results of his work at the National Association for Abandoned Mine Land Programs conference in West Virginia in September, and his internship was featured in a UW news story.

Andy Strike, a UW alum and James’s internship supervisor, said, “I have always been looking for ways to collaborate with the [University], and make sure that students interested in pursuing a career in the state of Wyoming gain exposure to local firms that can help make that happen. Not every job in oil and gas requires Texas residency. I intend to continue this collaboration with UW, and hope all the candidates will be as proficient and knowledgeable as James was this summer.”


JSU Students Return for Job Fair WyCEHG continued our collaboration with Jackson State University by bringing four JSU students back to Wyoming in September for the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous, one of the premier job fairs for students interested in the energy industry. The RMR, which is sponsored by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, brought together 350 students from around the country with representatives of 24 energy companies. JSU students presented posters, attended workshops on resume preparation and interview skills, and interviewed with prospective employers. Several of the students presented work they’d done during the joint UW/JSU field course in ecohydrogeophysics.

JSU students Brandon Rankin and Mitchell Johnson present results from their work in the June UW/

JSU field course at the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous job fair.

WyCEHG summer intern James St. Clair operates

electrical resistivity equipment on abandoned mine lands.

The results of one of summer intern James St. Clair’s profiles. The circular red (electrically resistive)

features in the subsurface are interpreted as abandoned mine adits.


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Happenings

Southern Sierra CZO Field Work In September, members of the geophysics team took to the road, bringing the FINSE geophysical gear to the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO) east of Fresno, California. The Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) represent an NSF-sponsored program of about 10 focus sites where multidisciplinary teams investigate the linked hydrology, biology, chemistry, and geology of the Earth’s outermost “skin” (from the canopy of vegetation down to the groundwater). WyCEHG team leader Cliff Riebe is s co-PI on the SSCZO site and coordinated the geophysics team’s efforts.

The geophysics team acquired seismic, resistivity, magnetic, and ground-penetrating radar data in all four locations along the SSCZO’s elevation transect through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Look for news of the results in upcoming newsletters and publications.

Collaborations with the CZO’s are specifically encouraged for WyCEHG in the “Programmatic Terms and Conditions” of our NSF grant. As we move forward, we are looking for new opportunities to interact with colleagues at CZO sites around the country.

Becoming the Messenger Workshop In September (a busy WyCEHG month!) the EPSCoR office hosted a two-day, NSF-sponsored workshop called “Becoming the Messenger.” The workshop focused on honing the communications skills of scientists for non-expert audiences. A trio of communications professionals - writer Chris Mooney, marketing executive Dan Agan, and television producer Joe Schreiber - led the workshop participants through a series of lectures and hands-on exercises that covered tips and techniques in social media, powerpoint, public speaking, and media interviews. The workshop was open to scientists and communicators across Wyoming, but was particularly well attended by team members from the EPSCoR-supported WyCEHG and CI-WATER projects.


The WyCEHG geophysics team collects resistivity data in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory.

WyCEHG and CI-WATER team

members work on their presentations

during day two of the Becoming the

Messenger workshop.

Workshop leaders Chris Mooney, Dan

Agan, and Joe Schrieber

demonstrate effective communication.


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HappeningsAirborne Geophysics Near-surface geophysics is great at providing unique views of subsurface structure and properties - but typical ground-based geophysical surveys are time- and labor-intensive, making it difficult to cover large areas at the watershed scale. Airborne geophysics is one way to overcome that limitation. By towing geophysical instrumentation above the ground level, airborne geophysical surveys can cover a large area in a short time - thus enabling better-informed decisions about where to conduct the more detailed, small-scale surveys with ground-based instrumentation.

Part of the WyCEHG grant is a collaboration with Aarhus University in Denmark, whose hydrogeophysics group are world leaders in airborne geophysics. Aarhus and SkyTEM personnel came to Wyoming in September to conduct an airborne geophysical survey of the Snowy Range, covering nearly 60 square km of the Libby Creek/Nash Fork watershed. The instrumentation measures both magnetic and electrical conductivity information. A similar survey of the Laramie Range was postponed due to high winds and will hopefully take place next summer. Stay tuned for updates on initial results from the data, which appear to have very high quality.

All-Hands Meetings One of the challenges faced by any undertaking as large and complex as WyCEHG is communication across disciplines. To foster continued interdisciplinary collaboration in WyCEHG, we’ve re-started our series of all-hands meetings. These biweekly meetings bring together faculty, staff, postdocs, and students (grad and undergrad) to brainstorm, share ideas, and set plans for upcoming joint field work. EPSCoR office staff also attend, and begin the meetings with updates of EPSCoR activities, events, and deadlines.

The all-hands meetings aren’t the only way we’re communicating, though -- in the intervening weeks between all-hands meetings, we have team leader meetings, to enable all ten team leaders to interact and continue the conversations started in the all-hands meetings. In addition, the three grant PI’s (Anne, Scott, and Steve) have weekly lunch meetings to discuss project management.


The SkyTEM airborne geophysical instrument from Aarhus University takes off for a survey of

the Snowy Range.

Graduate student Brady Flinchum presents a plan for drilling in the Laramie Range at a

WyCEHG all-hands meeting.


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Wyoming Water in the Classroom: Learning about WyCEHG science for teachers

The first EPSCoR-funded Wyoming Water in the Classroom workshop took place from July 22-26, 2013 at the Jackson Campus of Teton Science Schools. This multi-year program, administered by Teton Science Schools and in collaboration with the Science and Math Teaching Center at UW, is designed to provide teaching tools and background in WyCEHG-related science. This year the curriculum focused on groundwater science, watersheds, and water quality.

Seven teachers participated this year in the professional development program lead by Teton Science Schools’ instructors, along with Wyoming EPSCoR’s EOD Coordinator, Liz Nysson, and WyCEHG’s EOD Team Lead, Ginger Paige.

Plans are underway for two workshops in the summer of 2014. These upcoming workshops will build upon the foundations of basic watershed education and more deeply explore WyCEHG research through additional curriculum and field research using FINSE equipment. Please contact Leslie Cook at [email protected] or visit www.tetonscience.org for more information about the upcoming workshops.

- Liz Nysson, EPSCoR Office


Teton Science Schools Instructor Doug Fisher leading teachers through an in-class exercise.

Teachers in the field, learning how to determine water quality with guidance form Teton Science

Schools Instructor, Kate Bode.

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.tetonscience.org

http://www.tetonscience.org


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From the EPSCoR Office There’s always something new happening in the EPSCoR office! We welcomed Liz Nysson as our Education Outreach and Diversity (“EOD”) Coordinator. Liz is standing 4th from the left in the photo below between Rick Matlock, the EPSCoR Project Administrator, and Robin Rasmussen, our new Communications intern from the CoJo Department. We also said goodbye to Kali McCrackin (7th from the left below, between Lisa Abeyta and Anne Sylvester). Kali helped advance our social media literacy and revolutionized our communications presence online with the awesome EPSCoR blog: http://wyomingepscor.blogspot.com/.

This summer the EPSCoR office supported WyCEHG activities plus directed several successful educational programs, all aimed at broadening the depth and breadth of participation in science in Wyoming. Our goal is to capture interest in science by offering relevant hands-on research experiences, and we have touched just about every level of learner. Our participants this summer included seven teachers who learned about watershed science at the Teton Science Schools (see details on page 10 of this addition of the Keg), 22 high school students experienced hands-on research guided by faculty mentors during the six-week on-campus SRAP program, 24 undergraduate students were awarded

research fellowships to work in faculty labs and over 200 students from around Wyoming presented their research at Undergraduate Research Day. The EPSCoR office also supported WyCEHG field courses for undergraduates, graduate students, community college faculty and students and visiting students from Jackson State University.

The creative side of the EPSCoR office is also emerging: Liz Nysson expanded our Communicating about Water (CAW) program by initiating a creative writing contest in partnership with the English Department (see announcement). Sarah Konrad launched the Wyoming Women in Science & Engineering program that aims to increase visibility of women scientists through travel grants and supporting women speakers on campus. Stay tuned for the outcomes of these programs as they roll out this fall.

As always, we welcome visitors to the EPSCoR offices on the 4th floor of Wyo Hall. We have a new conference room (Wyo Hall 425) well equipped with comfortable chairs, coffee and snacks. Please join us anytime.

-Anne Sylvester, Wyoming EPSCoR Program Director


http://wyomingepscor.blogspot.com/

http://wyomingepscor.blogspot.com/

Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology and GeophysicsWyoming EPSCoR Office422 Wyoming HallUniversity of Wyoming1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3622Laramie, WY 82071-2000


[email protected]@uwyo.edu

October 7: Water Interest Group meeting, Laramie14: Kamini Singha (Colo. School of Mines)

visits14: Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR)

Roundtable17-18: Training workshop on Wind River

Indian Reservation for CI-WATER and WyCEHG

24-26: CZO Sampling, Drilling, and Imaging Workshop, Denver

27-30: Geological Society of America meeting, Denver

November1: EPSCoR state committee meeting3-7: National EPSCoR Conference,

NashvilleDecember

9-13: AGU Conference, San Francisco (WyCEHG Booth)

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

Members of the WyCEHG Geophysics Team explore a giant sequoia tree in McKinley Grove, California, part of the Southern Sierra Critical

Zone Observatory.

A program funded by NSF-EPSCoR grant number EPS-1208909





Documents

The Wyoming Center for Environmental Hydrology and ...€¦ · cog in the gearworks of the overall WyCEHG mission. Being part of a research initiative such as WyCEHG, ... group to