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The Upper Missouri River Basin (UMRB) Pilot Project
encompasses interactive modeling and observational studies of the coupled
atmosphere-surface-subsurface hydrology of the Black Hills area of South Dakota and
Wyoming. This NASA sponsored project emphasizes coupled
hydrologic modeling of Intermediate Scale Areas (ISA) in orographic terrain, the use of
observations of differing temporal and spatial resolutions to assess ambient variability
as well as model and budget uncertainties and sensitivities, intercomparison of sensors,
and the transferability of models from the Black Hills ISA to other ISAs. Execution of
this project is being coordinated with GEWEX
Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP)
activities such as the GCIP Large Scale-Northwest (LSA-NW) study.
The specific scientific objectives of the UMRB Pilot
Project are:
- Assess the importance of "deep"
groundwater in subsurface aquifers to water budgets and water resources in the LSA-NW.
- Determine the resolution required in atmospheric
and coupled models to represent adequately precipitation and other components of the water
budget in orographic terrain. Examine sensitivities and important spatial scales for
impacts due to variations in evapotranspiration and moisture advection.
- Determine the uncertainties in atmospheric
components of the water budgets on ISA and larger scales in orographic terrain.
These research objectives focus on two of the
principal questions posed in the GCIP Science Plan:
- How do water and energy budgets vary in time and space on a
continental scale?
- How can surface and groundwater processes at the catchment scale be
aggregated interactively with the subgrid scale atmospheric processes in atmospheric
models?
The Pilot Project timeframe includes modeling
exercises that began in Spring 1998 continuing through the end of 1999, and an Intensive
Observational Period (IOP) in Spring 1999. Coordination with GCIP activities is
facilitated by the October 14-16, 1998, LSA-NW Detailed Design workshop hosted at EROS
Data Center (EDC) in Sioux Falls, SD.
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