Quantifying the Influence of SnowmelT on RIVEr Hydrology in High Mountain Asia (STRIVE)

• Applicant: Dr. Taylor Smith
• Subject Area: Physical Geography ; Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography ; Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 505340068

The proposed “Quantifying the Influence of SnowmelT on RIVEr Hydrology in High Mountain Asia (STRIVE)” project will better constrain how alpine rivers respond to the timing and volume of snowmelt. In many alpine catchments, a significant portion of the yearly water budget comes from snowmelt, particularly during dry summer seasons. As glaciers in many high-elevation regions continue to melt, the seasonal water buffer provided by snowmelt will only become more important. The risk of flooding will also increase as rising temperatures speed up the spring snowmelt season.Despite the importance of snow-water resources to many densely populated areas, the timing and volume of snowmelt remains poorly understood – especially in remote and difficult terrain. To better quantify when and where snowmelt reaches alpine rivers, the STRIVE project will use a combined in-situ and satellite-based approach in eastern Nepal to (1) monitor the timing and spatial distribution of snowmelt; (2) assess the influence of snowmelt on river heights; and (3) river temperatures. The novel high-density data collected during the STRIVE project will be co-located with existing hydro-meteorological stations to validate and extend existing approaches, with a particular focus on calibrating satellite-based products with high-temporal resolution in-situ data. The local-scale river-monitoring and calibration data collected during STRIVE will further be combined with regional hydrologic data to (4) develop a more complete understanding of the current state of snowmelt-driven alpine rivers and their projected response to changing climate conditions at the scale of the entire High Mountain Asia region. The results of the STRIVE project will be broadly useful to researchers, natural hazard planners, water managers, and hydropower development throughout the Himalaya and in similar snowmelt-driven alpine ecosystems.To facilitate research collaboration and exchange, the STRIVE project will also lead two workshops for local early-career scientists and water managers based around in-situ and remote sensing data collection and processing. These workshops will aid in disseminating the results of the STRIVE project and ensuring that the methods and data developed continue to inform research and water-policy decisions in the Himalaya after the end of the project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants