Understanding and Predictability of Integrated Mountain Hydroclimate Workshop Report

• Print Publication: Draft report available December 2022
• Workshop Dates: November 15-16, 2021
• Draft Download: Fast-download PDF

Motivated by the gaps in understanding, observing, and modeling of mountain hydroclimate and the needs for credible projections of future changes, the Earth and Environmental Systems Sciences Division (EESSD) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program, sponsored a virtual workshop on “Understanding and Predictability of Integrated Mountain Hydroclimate” on November 15-16, 2021, to inform and catalyze EESSD’s growing interests in enhancing predictive understanding of integrated mountain hydroclimate.

The workshop was organized to identify knowledge gaps, observational and modeling challenges, and short- (i.e., 1-3 years) to long-term (i.e., 10 years and beyond) opportunities in integrated mountain hydroclimate research, and to foster collaboration and coordination. To address the outstanding challenges of integrated mountain hydroclimate, the workshop included two sessions organized by disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and crosscutting science topics. The disciplinary and cross-disciplinary topics focused on atmosphere, terrestrial, and human systems and their interactions, which are essential elements of the integrated mountain hydroclimate.

Breakout sessions on the disciplinary and cross-disciplinary topics facilitated identification of crosscutting topics and central emerging themes. Session 1 focused on connecting existing DOE investments to accelerate scientific progress around scientific challenges to understanding mountain hydroclimate. Key takeaways from Session 1 were further explored through the lens of multiagency collaborations and coordination in Session 2.