| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 21, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 21, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1903729 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Jonathan G Wynn
jwynn@nsf.gov (703)292-4725 EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | August 15, 2019 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $246,806.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $246,806.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1000 E UNIVERSITY AVE LARAMIE WY US 82071-2000 (307)766-5320 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
WY US 82071-2000 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
GLOBAL CHANGE, XC-Crosscutting Activities Pro |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Loss of high-elevation snowpack in the intermountain western US poses major societal risks for the region, where increased temperatures may permanently reduce snowpack amounts and impact baseflow in rivers and streams. This research looks towards the geological record of past climates recorded by proxy in organic sediments in lakes and uses this information to provide a perspective on how future water resources in the region will respond to climate change. The past records of the water cycle provide this long-term context to recent changes by analyzing the combinations of temperature and precipitation changes that have impacted snowpack in the past. Such reconstructions can help anticipate future changes. The results of this research will be communicated to broad audiences of stakeholders from public agencies to residents of the region. The research team will work with the University of Wyoming Geology Museum and media outlets, such as Wyoming Public Radio, to present the results through interviews and media. Research and education capacity will be built at the University of Wyoming and at a long-term monitoring site maintained by the US Forest Service.
This project will use a novel combination of lake sediment biomarker and mineral analyses to constrain the changes in snowpack, temperature, runoff, evaporation, and dust deposition over the past 11,000 years in three small Rocky Mountain watersheds that are sensitive to climate change. Specifically, the research will develop three new C29 n-alkane (leaf wax) and C23 n-alkane (aquatic) hydrogen isotope records, along with three x-ray diffraction records of lake sediment mineralogy, and three comparable branched GDGT (glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether) records of lake water temperature. The combination of these proxies will provide a multi-proxy perspective on changes in Rocky Mountain snowpack, and use to assess climatological and hydrological factors involved in the proxy records. In so doing, the combination of these different types of data will enrich the understanding of the variability of water resources in the western US and the mechanisms underlying these changes.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Snow is a critical resource in the western United States. It provides water to a large fraction of the region’s population and is the basis for important economic activities such as winter recreation. The work for this project revealed that the Rocky Mountain snowpack can change dramatically and that current climate conditions are wetter with more snow than most of the past 10,000 years in Wyoming. The reconstructed patterns of change indicate the potential for even modest temperature changes to have significant consequences for snow. The analyses of sediment cores from over fifteen lakes included measures of erosion and meltwater from two large permanent snowfields, the timing of lake desiccation events, and geochemical indicators of drought and temperature changes. The results showed that small increases in temperature in the past 10,000 years melted the permanent snowfields and lowered, and even fully desiccated, lakes and ponds dependent on snowmelt. The patterns confirm expectations from future projections that indicate a high likelihood of winter snowfall transitioning to rain even at high elevations, which would have significant consequences for surface water supplies. Results from the project have been used to help communities and resource managers consider the potential magnitude of future changes to the snowpack. Teachers in Wyoming have also been introduced to the long-term history of the region’s snow generated by this project. The project supported the training and mentoring of at least 3 undergraduate researchers, 2 graduate students, and 3 post-docs.
Last Modified: 03/03/2025
Modified by: Bryan N Shuman
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