Snow Hydrology Research at the Mountain Research Station on Niwot Ridge
This internship consists of a group of 6 undergraduate students, the guidance of 2 graduate students, 2 CU professors, Dr. Noah Molotch and Dr. Keith Musslemen, and MRS scientist Jen Morse. The group goes on weekly trips to the Mountain Research Station on Niwot Ridge to collect data at two sites, but, due to poor weather this year, we have spent the majority of our time at a lower altitude site called C1. There have been few opportunities to go up to the Tundra site on top of Niwot Ridge. There have been decades of data taken at these locations, so while in-person data collection is difficult and can have inaccuracies, the long-lasting history of the data continues to be relevant and important. Our group hikes from the MRS up to the C1 site, we then dig down through the snow to the soil, making sure the pit is large enough to fit a person and allow them to collect data without disturbing the area of interest. The first few field days, we dug snowpits to fit one person, then we decided to create larger pits so multiple measurements could be taken at once. Using our shovels to shave off any unwanted protruding snow, we create a flat surface inside the pit to collect our data. This includes snow density, temperature, snowpack structure, grain size, grain shape, snow water equivalent, and more. While collecting our data, we cautiously make sure our instruments are performing at their best, avoid picking up impurities like soil and vegetation, create efficient working conditions, and diligently record our data. To collect the aforementioned data, our group utilizes a variety of equipment. For example, hand lenses are used to view snow crystals and better understand the snowpack structure, and density sampling equipment is used to calculate the snow water equivalent and density of individual snowpack segments. These measurements can then be compared to decades of previous historical data to make inferences and understand changes that are occurring at and around Niwot Ridge. This information impacts our understanding of Colorado’s historical snowpack changes, especially on the front range. Overall, the internship acts as a great tool to introduce field snow hydrology research to new students and maintain historical and scientific databases.
Undergraduate students Geography, CU Boulder