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Geophysical Measurements to Determine the Hydrologic Partitioning of Snowmelt on a Snow‐Dominated Subalpine Hillslope
Author(s) -
Thayer Drew,
Parsekian Andrew D.,
Hyde Kevin,
Speckman Heather,
Beverly Dan,
Ewers Brent,
Covalt Matt,
Fantello Nadia,
Kelleners Thijs,
Ohara Noriaki,
Rogers Trent,
Holbrook W. Steven
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2017wr021324
Subject(s) - snowpack , snowmelt , snow , subalpine forest , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , interflow , electrical resistivity tomography , surface runoff , subsurface flow , meltwater , stemflow , soil water , throughfall , geomorphology , soil science , groundwater , montane ecology , ecology , geotechnical engineering , electrical engineering , engineering , electrical resistivity and conductivity , biology
Abstract In subalpine watersheds of the intermountain western United States, snowpack melt is the dominant water input to the hydrologic system. The primary focus of this work is to understand the partitioning of water from the snowpack during the snowmelt period and through the remainder of the growing season. We conducted a time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) study in conjunction with a water budget analysis to track water from the snow‐on through snow‐off season (May–August 2015). Seismic velocities provided an estimate of regolith thickness while transpiration measurements from sap flow in conifer trees provided insight into root water uptake. We observed four hydrologic process‐periods and found that deep flow and tree water fluxes are the primary pathways through which water moves off of the hillslope. Overland flow and interflow were negligible. We observed temporal changes in vadose zone water content more than 3.0 m below the surface. Our results show that vertical flow through the thin soil mantle overlaying coarse colluvial regolith was the primary pathway to a local unconfined aquifer.