Wednesday, September 6, 2023 11:15am to 12:05pm
About this Event
1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO 80309
https://www.colorado.edu/ceae/newsevents/boase-seminars/boase-hydrologic-sciences-and-water-resources-engineering-seminar-seriesPresenter: Carli Brucker, PhD, CU Boulder
Title: Assessment of basin vulnerability to post-wildfire hydrologic and water quality effects through a multi-scale framework
Wildfires can significantly impact water quality and supply, presenting challenges for water treatment plants and freshwater systems. However, high variability and data scarcity in post-wildfire in situ water quality data have hindered previous analyses. Here, I present a unique multi-scale analysis of post-burn hydrologic and water quality effects, observing small-scale driving mechanisms as well as broad, large-scale responses across watersheds. Custom-designed laboratory-scale wildfire and rainfall simulation experiment apparati were first tested on 154 ~300 cm2 soil samples. Burn effects were observed in the context of other key drivers—rainfall intensity and terrain slope—to simulate variable conditions in natural settings. A synthesis of previous wildfire simulation methods was also completed, discussing benefits and limitations of different techniques. Next, broad changes in constituent responses in post-fire years were assessed for 241 forested watersheds across the U.S. West using machine learning and statistical techniques. Inter-basin variability in post-fire responses was also attributed to physiographic watershed variables and wildfire characteristics. By bridging multiple scales, this study strives to provide a holistic understanding of wildfires’ impacts on watersheds in the U.S. West.
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https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/95692974136
Meeting ID: 956 9297 4136
Passcode: water
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