Lars Anderson – Undergraduate– Environmental & Resource Management
Has the Rate of Evaporation of the Lake Mead Reservoir Increased Due to Climate Change?
Has the rate of evaporation of the Lake Mead reservoir increased due to climate change? This paper will investigate the water budget of the Lake Mead reservoir and will try to determine if the reservoir is decreasing due to evaporative loss or increased water usage. This has become an increasingly important question because nearly 20 million people rely on the reservoir as its main water source. When lake mead dropped below 1075 feet it triggered a federally-declared water shortage, the water shortage will cause Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico to cut their water allotment in 2022. The western part of the United States has been in a severe drought for the last 20 years, and the reservoir levels have been in decline since it reached full capacity in 1983. I will attempt to answer this question by looking at the water budget of Lake Mead. The inputs of the water budget consist of four main inlets and precipitation. The data for the inflows and outflows to lake mead will be obtained from stream gage data provided by the USGS. Precipitation data will be collected via the NOAA website, and the lake volume will be interpolated. The amount of water lost to evaporation or increased water usage will be calculated by comparing the reservoir's inflows and outflows to the lake's volume. The only recourse is to investigate the cause of our dwindling reservoir and try to mitigate the losses as effectively as possible.
Alexia Hunter - Undergraduate- Geography
Cloud Seeding Efficiency in China
One of the ways China deals with their water scarcity problem is through cloud seeding. Cloud seeding is a method used to increase the probability of precipitation in areas that are not getting enough rain to support the population's needs. This works by putting particles into the atmosphere that water droplets can attach to in order to generate precipitation in a target area. Studies show how much water different groups of populations need and this determines the locations that they do cloud seeding in. But the cloud seeding method might not be able to produce a sufficient amount of precipitation for all of the water needs in a target area and might be taking away water from other areas that need rain. This paper will look into the cloud seeding method used in China in order to see if it is efficient enough for the target area, and if it has any influence on the precipitation amount in the surrounding area.
Zac Martines – Undergraduate- Environmental Science
Will High Atlas Mountain Snowpack Levels Sustain Moroccan Agriculture?
Snowpack in the High Atlas Mountains is an important source of water for Morocco. Here, water scarcity is a constant threat to agriculture. The semi-arid region is in the rain shadow of the High Atlas Mountains and receives very little rainfall. Therefore, Moroccans rely on snowmelt to feed rivers and fill lakes and reservoirs. The question at hand is: Can Morocco continue to rely on snowpack as a freshwater source? As the population grows, precipitation has decreased, and snowpack levels may not be able to sustain water needs. For centuries, Moroccans have depended on snow melt, from the High Atlas Mountains, as a freshwater source. However, freshwater from snowpack fluctuates and may not be able to keep up with water needs. Climate change has exacerbated water scarcity by decreasing snow levels and increasing evaporation and the future of Moroccan agriculture depends on finding solutions. Understanding if snowpack as a freshwater source is sustainable, is crucial to prepare for the future and plan water budgets accordingly. To better understand if snowpack can continue to support Morocco’s water needs, many aspects of the hydrosocial cycle must be examined. The factors that affect snowpack levels must be examined. Understanding past and current snowpack in the High Atlas Mountains along with how that snowmelt is used will allow us to predict if Morocco can continue to rely on snowmelt or if alternative water sources are needed.
Paige Land - Undergraduate - Geography
Snowmelt and Water Resources in the Himalayas
This project covers the impacts of climate change on snowmelt in the Himalayas and how that affects the surrounding communities. I examine water security for urban areas that rely on the Himalayas. The Himalayas are significant because they contain the largest reserve of frozen water outside of polar regions and are a water source for almost two billion people. In order to better understand how water security may change for the region I look at snow melt, climate change, urbanization and current water availability in urban communities.