Relationships between stream nitrate concentration and spatially distributed snowmelt in high-elevation catchments of the western U.S.

Water Resources Research

Volumn 50, Issue 11, 2014, Pages 8694-8713

  Perrot, Danielle ^a   Molotch, Noah P ^a,b   Williams, Mark W ^a   Jepsen, Steven M ^c   Sickman, James O ^d  

^a UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO   (United States)

^b CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

^d UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

alpine; flow paths; modeling; nitrate; snow; snowmelt

Indexed keywords

CATCHMENTS; MODELS; NITRATES; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; RUNOFF; SNOW; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION;

ALPINE; FLOW PATH; MULTIPLE THRESHOLD; NITRATE CONCENTRATION; SHALLOW SUBSURFACE; SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT; SNOWMELT; SPATIAL RESOLUTION;

SNOW MELTING SYSTEMS;

CATCHMENT; ELEVATION; FLUSHING; LANDSAT; NITRATE; REGRESSION ANALYSIS; SNOW COVER; SNOWMELT; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; SPATIAL RESOLUTION; THRESHOLD;

COLORADO; GREEN LAKES VALLEY; UNITED STATES;

EID: 84919628831     PISSN: 00431397     EISSN: 19447973     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/2013WR015243     Document Type: Article

References (53)

1. Adam, J. C., A. F. Hamlet, and, D. P. Lettenmaier, (2009), Implications of global climate change for snowmelt hydrology in the twenty-first century, Hydrol. Processes, 23, 962-972.
2. Bales, R. C., R. E. Davis, and, D. A. Stanley, (1989), Ion elution through shallow homogeneous snow, Water Resour. Res., 25, 1869-1877.
3. Barnes, R. T., M. W. Williams, J. N. Parman, K. Hill, and, N. Caine, (2013), Thawing glacial and permafrost features contribute to nitrogen export from Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front Range, USA, Biogeochemistry, 117, 413-430, doi: 10.1007/s10533-013-9886-5.
4. Baron, J. S., E. K. Hall, B. T. Nolan, J. C. Finlay, E. S. Bernhardt, J. Harrison, F. Chan, and, E. W. Boyer, (2012), The interactive effects of excess reactive nitrogen and climate change on aquatic ecosystems and water resources of the United States, Biogeochemistry, 114 (1-3), 71-92.
5. Brooks, P. D., and, M. W. Williams, (1999), Snowpack controls on nitrogen cycling and export in seasonally snow-covered catchments, Hydrol. Processes, 13, 2177-2190.
6. Burns, D. A., (2003), Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and southern Wyoming-A review and new analysis of past study results, Atmos. Environ., 37, 921-932.
7. Caine, N., (1995), Temporal trends in the quality of streamwater in an alpine environment: Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front Range, USA, Geogr. Ann., Ser. A, 77, 207-220.
8. 18O, Water Resour. Res., 38 (5), doi: 10.1029/2001WR000294.
9. Cline, D. W., R. C. Bales, and, J. Dozier, (1998), Estimating the spatial distribution of snow in mountain basins using remote sensing and energy balance modeling, Water Resour. Res., 34, 1275-1285.
10. Clow, D. W., (2010), Changes in the timing of snowmelt and streamflow in Colorado: A response to recent warming, J. Clim., 23, 2293-2306, doi: 10.1175/2009JCLI2951.1.
11. Creed, I. F., and, L. E. Band, (1998a), Exploring functional similarity in the export of nitrate-N from forested catchments: A mechanistic modeling approach, Water Resour. Res., 34, 3079-3093, doi: 10.1029/98WR02102.
12. Creed, I. F., and, L. E. Band, (1998b), Export of nitrogen from catchments within a temperate forest: Evidence for a unifying mechanism regulated by variable source area dynamics, Water Resour. Res., 34, 3105-3120, doi: 10.1029/98WR01924.
13. Creed, I. F., L. E. Band, N. W. Foster, I. K. Morrison, J. A. Nicolson, R. S. Semkin, and, D. S. Jeffries, (1996), Regulation of nitrate-N release from temperate forests: A test of the N flushing hypothesis, Water Resour. Res., 32, 3337-3354, doi: 10.1029/96WR02399.
14. Dunne, T., and, L. B. Leopold, (1978), Water in Environmental Planning, 818 pp., W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, Calif.
15. Elser, J. J., T. Andersen, J. S. Baron, A. Bergström, M. Jansson, M. Kyle, K. R. Nydick, L. Steger, and, D. O. Hessen, (2009), Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition, Science, 326, 835-837.
16. Erickson, T. A., M. W. Williams, and, A. Winstral, (2005), Persistence of topographic controls on the spatial distribution of snow in rugged mountain terrain, Colorado, United States, Water Resour. Res., 41, W04014, doi: 10.1029/2003WR002973.
17. Flerchinger, G. N., W. Xaio, D. Marks, T. J. Sauer, and, Q. Yu, (2009), Comparison of algorithms for incoming atmospheric, long-wave radiation, Water Resour. Res., 45, W03423, doi: 10.1029/2008WR007394.
18. Heuer, K., P. D. Brooks, and, K. A. Tonnessen, (1999), Nitrogen dynamics in two high elevation catchments during spring snowmelt 1996, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Hydrol. Processes, 13, 2203-2214.
19. Hewlett, J. D., and, A. R. Hibbert, (1967), Factors affecting the response of small watersheds to precipitation in humid areas, in Forest Hydrology, pp. 275-291, Pergamon, N. Y.
20. Idso, S. B., (1981), A set of equations for full spectrum and 8- to 14-micron and 10.5- to 12.5-micron thermal radiation from cloudless skies, Water Resour. Res., 17, 295-304.
21. Jepsen, S. M., N. P. Molotch, M. W. Williams, K. E. Rittger, and, J. O. Sickman, (2012), Interannual variability of snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, United States: Examples from two alpine watersheds, Water Resour. Res., 48, W02529, doi: 10.1029/2011WR011006.
22. Johannessen, M., and, A. Henriksen, (1978), Chemistry of snow meltwater: Changes in concentration during melting, Water Resour. Res., 14, 615-619.
23. Kramer-Huth, A., A. Leydecker, J. O. Sickman, and, R. C. Bales, (2004), A two-component hydrograph separation for three high-elevation catchments in the Sierra Nevada, California, Hydrol. Processes, 18 (9), 1721-1733.
24. Liu, F., M. W. Williams, and, N. Caine, (2004), Source waters and flow paths in an alpine catchment, Colorado Front Range, United States, Water Resour. Res., 40, W09401, doi: 10.1029/2004WR003076.
25. Magnusson, J., T. Jonas, I. Lopez-Moreno, and, M. Lehning, (2010), Snow cover response to climate change in a high alpine and half-glacierized basin in Switzerland, Hydrol. Res., 41, 230-240.
26. Marks, D., J. Domingo, D. Susong, T. Link, and, D. Garen, (1999), A spatially distributed energy balance snowmelt model for application in mountain basins, Hydrol. Processes, 13, 1935-1959.
27. Martinec, J., and, A. Rango, (1981), Areal distribution of snow water equivalent evaluated by snow cover monitoring, Water Resour. Res., 17, 1480-1488.
28. McClain, M. E., et al. (2003), Biogeochemical hot spots and hot moments at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, Ecosystems, 6, 301-312.
29. Meixner, T., and, R. C. Bales, (2003), Hydrochemical modeling of coupled C and N cycling in high-elevation catchments: Importance of snow cover, Biogeochemistry, 62, 289-308.
30. Meixner, T., R. C. Bales, M. W. Williams, D. H. Campbell, and, J. S. Baron, (2000), Stream chemistry modeling of two watersheds in the Front Range, Colorado, Water Resour. Res., 36, 77-87.
31. Molotch, N. P., (2009), Reconstructing snow water equivalent in the Rio Grande headwaters using remotely sensed snow cover data and a spatially distributed snowmelt model, Hydrol. Processes, 23, 1076-1089, doi: 10.1002/hyp.7206.
32. Molotch, N. P., and, R. C. Bales, (2006), Comparison of ground-based and airborne snow surface albedo parameterizations in an alpine watershed: Impact on snowpack mass balance, Water Resour. Res., 42, 1-12.
33. Molotch, N. P., T. H. Painter, R. C. Bales, and, J. Dozier, (2004), Incorporating remotely-sensed snow albedo into a spatially-distributed snowmelt model, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L03501, doi: 10.1029/2003GL019063.
34. Molotch, N. P., T. Meixner, and, M. W. Williams, (2008), Estimating stream chemistry during the snowmelt pulse using a spatially-distributed, coupled snowmelt and hydrochemical modeling approach, Water Resour. Res., 44, W11429, doi: 10.1029/2007WR006587.
35. Mote, P. W., (2006), Climate-driven variability and trends in mountain snowpack in western North America, J. Clim., 19, 6209-6220.
36. Painter, T. H., J. Dozier, D. A. Roberts, R. E. Davis, and, R. O. Green, (2003), Retrieval of subpixel snow-covered area and grain size from imaging spectrometer data, Remote Sens. Environ., 85, 64-77.
37. Painter, T. H., K. Rittger, C. McKenzie, P. Slaughter, R. E. Davis, and, J. Dozier, (2009), Retrieval of subpixel snow covered area, grain size, and albedo from MODIS, Remote Sens. Environ., 113, 868-879.
38. Saros, J. E., K. C. Rose, D. W. Clow, V. C. Stephens, A. B. Nurse, H. A. Arnett, J. R. Stone, C. E. Williamson, and, A. P. Wolfe, (2010), Melting alpine glaciers enrich high-elevation lakes with reactive nitrogen, Environ. Sci. Technol., 44 (13), 4891-4896.
39. Sickman, J. O., A. Leydecker, and, J. M. Melack, (2001), Nitrogen mass balances and abiotic controls on N retention and yield in high-elevation catchments of the Sierra Nevada, California, United States, Water Resour. Res., 37, 1445-1461.
40. Sickman, J. O., J. M. Melack, and, J. L. Stoddard, (2002), Regional analysis of inorganic nitrogen yield and retention in high-elevation ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, Biogeochemistry, 57, 341-374.
41. Sickman, J. O., A. Leydecker, C. C. Y. Chang, C. Kendall, J. M. Melack, D. M. Lucero, and, J. Schimel, (2003a), Mechanisms underlying export of N from high-elevation catchments during seasonal transitions, Biogeochemistry, 64, 1-24.
42. Sickman, J. O., D. Clow, and, J. M. Melack, (2003b), Evidence for nutrient enrichment of high-elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada, California, Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods, 48, 1885-1892.
43. Slater, A. G., M. P. Clark, and, A. P. Barrett, (2009), Comment on "Estimating the distribution of snow water equivalent using remotely sensed snow cover data and a spatially distributed snowmelt model: A multi-resolution, multi-sensor comparison" by N. P. Molotch and S. A. Margulis, Adv. Water Resour., 32, 1680-1684, doi: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2009.09.001.
44. Slater, A. G., A. P. Barrett, M. P. Clark, J. D. Lundquist, and, M. S. Raleigh, (2013), Uncertainty in seasonal snow reconstruction: Relative impacts of forcing and image availability, Adv. Water Resour., 55, 165-177, doi: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2012.07.006.
45. Tonnessen, K. A., (1991), The Emerald Lake watershed study: Introduction and site description, Water Resour. Res., 27, 1537-1539.
46. Williams, M. W., and, J. M. Melack, (1991a), Precipitation chemistry in and ionic loading to an alpine basin, Sierra Nevada, Water Resour. Res., 27, 1563-1574.
47. Williams, M. W., and, J. M. Melack, (1991b), Solute chemistry of snowmelt and runoff in an alpine basin, Sierra Nevada, Water Resour. Res., 27, 1575-1588.
48. Williams, M. W., J. S. Baron, N. Caine, R. Sommerfield, and, R. Sanford, (1996a), Nitrogen saturation in the Rocky Mountains, Environ. Sci. Technol., 30, 640-646.
49. Williams, M. W., P. D. Brooks, A. Mosier, and, K. A. Tonnessen, (1996b), Mineral nitrogen transformations in and under seasonal snow in a high-elevation catchment in the Rocky Mountains, United States, Water Resour. Res., 32, 3161-3171.
50. Williams, M. W., M. Losleben, N. Caine, and, D. Greenland, (1996c), Changes in climate and hydrochemical responses in a high-elevation catchment in the Rocky Mountains, USA, Limnol. Oceanogr., 41, 939-946.
51. Williams, M. W., T. Davinroy, and, P. D. Brooks, (1997), Organic and inorganic nitrogen pools in talus fields and subtalus water, Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front Range, Hydrol. Processes, 11, 1747-1760.
52. Williams, M. W., M. Knauf, N. Caine, F. Liu, and, P. L. Verplanck, (2006), Geochemistry and source waters of rock glacier outflow, Colorado Front Range, Permafrost Periglacial Processes, 17, 13-33.
53. Williams, M. W., C. Seibold, and, K. Chowanski, (2009), Storage and release of solutes from a subalpine seasonal snowpack: Soil and stream water response, Niwot Ridge, Colorado, Biogeochemistry, 95 (1), 77-94, doi: 10.1007/s10533-009-9288-x.