southernsierracriricalzoneobservatory.docVIP

Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory Work Plan, updated August 22, 2008 Contents Core CZO measurements, data management and integration 2 Core KREW measurements and data management 3 Modeling of water and nutrient cycles 4 Near-surface soil-water processes 7 Water carbon exchange 9 Water carbon exchange 9 Surface-groundwater interactions 11 Snowpack and snowmelt controls on nitrogen vyvling in soil 12 Nitrogen fluxes from soil 16 Baseline hydrologic, sediment and geochemical characterization 17 Water and geochemical cycles 18 Physical weathering rates 20 Snow processes 21 Cross-CZO comparison of C cycling 22 Biogeochemical processes/cycling 23 Topic. Core CZO measurements, data management and integration Investigator. Roger Bales Martha Conklin Students research staff. Matt Meadows, UG assistant, data manager, postdoc Scope. Field installations support. Core measurements made by the CZO team compliment those done by the KREW team. One focus is the water balance instrument cluster, which is anchored by an eddy-correlation flux tower but with ground measurements extending 1-2 km from the tower. The flux tower will provide point measurements of water, energy and carbon exchange with the atmosphere, which will be extended outward using the meteorological, snow/soil, remotely sensed and other spatial data. The proposed instrument cluster will include three embedded sensor networks, one located in the vicinity of the tower, one at a lower elevation with cold-season precipitation a mix of rain and snow lower met station vicinity) and one at a higher snow-dominated elevation upper met station vicinity). Measurements that are part of the instrument clusters include: snow depth, air temperature, solar radiation (open and under canopy), reflected radiation, soil moisture, temperature and matric potential (multiple depths), sap flow. Across the meadow and stream sections it is planned to measure water level, temperature, electrical conductivity in pie