Naturalist Nights 2012 | Jeff Deems
The Colorado River supplies freshwater to 27 million people in seven states and Mexico, but gathers the bulk of its water from the mountains of Colorado. The snowpacks in the Colorado Rockies act as a major reservoir, storing winter precipitation and releasing it during the spring and summer. The dynamics of the spring melt cycle have been changing due to loss of forest cover from the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic, from dust storms darkening the snow surface, and the pervasive influence of a warming climate. This presentation will discuss recent research in snow hydrology, and the interaction of beetles, dust, and climate affecting river flows in the Upper Colorado River system.
Dr. Jeff Deems is a Research Scientist at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he works with the NOAA Western Water Assessment and the National Snow and Ice Data Center. A long-time skier, his research interests pertain mostly to observing and investigating the dynamics of mountain snowpacks, snowmelt, and avalanches, through field research, remote sensing, and computer modeling.
Naturalist Nights are brought to you through a partnership between Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Wilderness Workshop and Roaring Fork Audubon.
