News Article

University of Utah and iUTAH researcher Paul Brooks was recently featured in the news. Here’s an excerpt from the EurekaAlert article:

The western United States relies on mountain snow for its water supply. Water stored as snow in the mountains during winter replenishes groundwater and drives river runoff in spring, filling reservoirs for use later in summer. But how could a warming globe and a changing climate interrupt this process?

In a new study in Environmental Research Letters, a team of hydrologists that includes University of Utah professor Paul Brooks answers that question by simulating isolated climate change effects on Rocky Mountain stream systems, varying the type of precipitation (rain vs. snow) and the amount of energy (temperature) in the system. The answer, they found, depends less on how water enters the stream watershed, and more on how it leaves.

Press: UU News | EurekaAlert | KSL Radio | KUER Radio | ABC4 Utah | Deseret News | Science Daily | KULR TV | KTMF/KWYB

Utah’s streams and reservoirs seeing less water from snow melt. Credit: Jim Barney / USFWS

 

iUTAH researcher Paul Brooks discussing snowmelt and Utah’s water supply on ABC 4 Utah