MCA: Navigating the Clouds on the Horizon: Research and Education for Cloud-enabled Computational Hydrology in the Data Revolution

This project will produce knowledge of how precipitation, snow, and runoff in the Snake River Basin will be impacted by climate variability and change, while also expanding the use of cloud computing in water science research. Although cloud computing is increasingly important in research, the water science community lacks training materials and case studies to onboard researchers to effective practices.

This project addresses this tension by: (1) developing cloud computing solutions to three common computing uses in water science, (2) using those approaches to create datasets that characterize the effects of climate variability and change on hydrology in the Snake River Basin, and (3) designing and disseminating educational materials to train water scientists in the use of cloud computing. This project will produce scientific insights and datasets to help water managers prepare for climate change in the western US and prepare the next generation of water scientists in modern computing paradigms.

Partnering with colleagues at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc. (CUAHSI), the PI will engage in professional development that will enable research activities to be performed exclusively through cloud computing. The open-source Intermediate Complexity Atmospheric Research (ICAR), Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), and WRF-Hydro models will be used to create a regional high-resolution climate and hydrology ensemble in the Snake River Basin.

That ensemble will be analyzed to quantify changes in hydrologic variables through a lens of changes in risks of extremes like floods and droughts. Data will be shared such that researchers and practitioners will be able to discover, access, and analyze the data via CUAHSI’s HydroShare platform. The project will also develop curricular materials to introduce 8th graders to computational climate science by supporting middle school science teachers in the Nampa School District with summer research experiences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.