Useful Links
- The CSAS is one of the leading research institutions studying the dust-on-snow phenomenon. They are constantly monitoring the events and provide weekly updates to their funders on how the dust will impact the snow.
- The USGS is committed to tracking the dust events via satellite imagery and ground measurements. Their primary objective is “to determine the location, size, frequency, duration, and transport patterns of dust storms in the southwestern United States.”
USGS Water Data for the Nation
- The USGS also has monitoring sites scattered across the nation measuring various aspects of water flows. Here you can select the site of choice and receive real-time and historical data for the water flow at that particular site.
- The National Snow and Ice Data Center does extensive research on snow, ice, and climatology.
- The NRCS has snow-monitoring sites (SNOTEL) scattered across Colorado. They also perform climate monitoring and water supply.
Colorado Plateau Research Station
- The Colorado Plateau Research Station at the USGS monitors and studies conditions in the Colorado Plateau region. Their main focus is “ecoregional studies and conservation planning; endangered species studies; vegetation distribution, ecology, and dynamics; data management and dissemination; inventory and monitoring studies; and wildlife ecology.”
- The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research “strives for excellence in research, education, and outreach related to Earth System Science and Global Change in high-latitude, alpine, and other environments.”
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL)
- RMBL’s “mission is to advance the deep scientific understanding of nature that promotes informed stewardship of the Earth.”
- The MSI is a non-profit research institution in Silverton, CO. Their “mission is to enhance understanding and sustainable use of the San Juan Mountains through research and education.”
- The CCC is located at Colorado State University and studies the climatology of Colorado.
- The Bureau of Reclamation’s mission is “to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.”
NOAA National Water Resources Outlook
- The National Water Resources Outlook “provides access to river forecasts and a variety of visualization tools.” The most relevant portion on their website is their “Western US Water Supply Map.”
- The CAIC’s purpose is to “minimize the economic and human impact of snow avalanches on recreation, tourism, commerce, industry and the citizens of Colorado.”
- The EBL focuses on dust deposition in the western U.S. and the implications. They have an emphasis on how humans have altered the magnitude of dust deposition across the western U.S.
Presentations/Talks
2009 Colorado Water Congress presentation by Chris Landry—“The Martian Winter”
How desert dust is influencing Colorado snowmelt by Landry, Painter, & Barrett
Utah BLM’s Role in Colorado’s Early Snowmelt by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)
Radiative effects of desert dust deposits in alpine snow by Thomas Painter
Can We Adapt to Climate Change by Mitigating Dust? A Possible Win-Win Approach by Ben Harding
Dust in low elevation lands: what creates it and what can we do about it? by Jayne Belnap
Dust in the western US; a history of mineral aerosol deposition to Colorado by Jason Neff
Radiative and hydrologic effects of desert dust deposits in alpine snow by Thomas Painter
Research vision: Mountain hydrology of the semi-arid western U.S. by Roger Bales et al.
Videos
Eagle River Watershed Council—Talk by Chris Landry
Red Snow in Winter? by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)