What physical processes are most important at different basin scales?

Our work:

• Previous research by Jessica Lundquist on diurnal cycles revealed that diurnal streamflow timing depends critically on the heterogeneity of the snowpack, which varies with basin scale [Lundquist and Dettinger 2005 ; Lundquist et al. 2005 ]. This same heterogeneity must be included in a hydrologic model to capture the dates when snow disappears in a basin.
• Further work revealed that differences due to topographic shading become much more pronounced when snow melts earlier in the year [Lundquist et al. 2004; Lundquist et al. 2006]. Thus topography and solar exposure must be modeled explicitly to understand how north- vs. south-facing basins will respond to climate change [Lott, Master's Thesis, 2008]. We are examining which model structure best represents these effects.