May Science Seminar: Rain-on-Snow Responses to Warming and Their Implications for Streamflow and Stream Temperature in the Great Lakes Basin

Date and Time
May 20, 2024, 12:00 pm CDT

 

Snow processes play a key role in the hydrology and ecology of cold regions. Climate change is likely to change the magnitude, timing, and spatial patterns of snowpacks. This is especially true in the Great Lakes Basin, where decreases in snowpack, intensified snowmelt, and more frequent rain-on-snow events are causing changes in streamflow and stream temperature in ecologically important rivers. 

In our May Science Seminar, Darren Ficklin, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Indiana University, and Yog Aryal, Future of Aquatic Flows Postdoctoral Fellow at Indiana University, will discuss the impact of changing rain-on-snow events on streamflow and stream temperature patterns and their impacts on the ecosystems in the Great Lakes Basin.

This project is part of the "Future of Aquatic Flows: Towards a National Synthesis," research focus of the 2022-2024 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort. CAP Fellows based in each CASC region are exploring how climate change is altering aquatic flows in streams and rivers across the country and how climate can be integrated into aquatic ecosystem management.

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Our Speakers

Darren Ficklin

Dr. Darren Ficklin
Dr. Darren Ficklin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Indiana University. Darren’s research focuses on the impact of climate change and variability on the hydrologic cycle in agricultural and mountainous regions throughout the world. His current research topics include: assessing the impacts of climate change on snowmelt and streamflow in watersheds around the world, determining the spatial and temporal trends of drought throughout the United States, and assessing how aquatic species habitats may change with impending climate changes through the use of stream temperature modeling. 

Yog Aryal

Dr. Yog Aryal
Dr. Yog Aryal is a Future of Aquatic Flows (FoAF), Postdoctoral Fellow at Indiana University, where he focuses on how climate change affects watershed hydrology and droughts. He earned his PhD from the University of Wyoming. Yog has worked as a researcher in both the United States and Nepal. His current project explores the changes in snow processes, their drivers, and how they impact hydrology and ecosystems in the Great Lakes Basin. He is also working with collaborators from other CASC centers as a co-author on a national synthesis report on the future of aquatic flow, aiming to shape understanding and policies on water management in the face of climate change. As an integral member of the academic community, Yog actively engages in the scientific discourse on climate adaptation, guiding future scientists through mentorship, leading conference sessions, and editorial contributions.

This event is part of our Summer Seminar Series. Sign up for the MW CASC newsletter to receive updates. 

Photo credit: Mississippi Watershed Management Organization.