See below for recent research highlights and see to the right for SFA-related news.
Click here for a listing of SFA publications and other products.
Click here for a 2-page Department of Energy brochure describing the SFA project.
Scientific Focus Area
Research Highlights
Rock Weathering and Biological Cycling can Influence Riverine Export of Sulfur in Watersheds
Biological transformations of sulfur in water-saturated sediments may partially offset increased sulfur released from rocks due to climate change.
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Enhanced Environmental Reactions Largely Impact Ecosystem Processes and Natural Resources
Modeling specific times and areas that experience enhanced environmental reaction rates can provide an important basis for planning, managing, and protecting natural resources and ecosystem function.
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An open, inclusive, and collaborative international network-of-networks framework to advance geoscience
This journal article explores how opening dialogues and enhancing communication streams can be extremely beneficial to science.
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Estimating subsurface properties from the air: Linking above and below-ground observation
Machine learning finds relationships between above and belowground features to estimate bedrock properties across an entire watershed
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Decades of DOE-supported research advance water and energy security
Since the late 1980s, findings from DOE-supported science close knowledge gaps involving ecosystem science and contribute to developing a secure water and energy future.
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The power of connected and coordinated science
Biogeoscience needs Integrated, Coordinated, Open, and Networked (ICON) principles to address global problems and reduce geographical bias limiting scientific progress.
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Advancing Temperature Profiling Systems to Better Understand Changes in Soil and Snow
More accurate depth resolved measurements of snow and soil temperatures allow scientists to better understand water and carbon fluxes that occur on many scales – from ecosystems to micrometers.
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A New Tool to Integrate Diverse Environmental Data
BASIN-3D is a tool developed by Berkeley Lab researchers that reduces the data processing burden for Earth scientists by making it easier to pull together data from different sources.
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A New Tool to Integrate Diverse Environmental Data
BASIN-3D reduces the data processing burden for Earth scientists by making it easier to pull together data from different sources.
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Advanced Methods to Better Predict Watershed Responses to Climate Change
This study developed a watershed zonation approach for characterizing watershed organization and function in a tractable manner by integrating multiple spatial data layers.
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Computer Science Fills Groundwater Data Gaps and Advances Water Level Predictions
Omission patterns are a key to effectively estimate missing groundwater data. A sequential gap-filling strategy is required to estimate extremes of a hydrograph.
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Field-scale Estimation of Soil Properties from Spectral Induced Polarization Tomography
A surface geophysical method called spectral induced polarization tomography was used for the first time ever to estimate soil physical and chemical properties at the field scale.
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What a Low-to-No-Snow Future Could Mean for the Western U.S.
With mountain snowpacks shrinking globally, a new study analyzes when a low-to-no-snow future might arrive in the western U.S. and the implications for water management.
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A hybrid data-model approach to map soil thickness in mountain hillslopes
A hybrid data—model approach improves the accuracy of mapping soil thickness as well as soil transport rate and soil production rate in a high resolution, which can be essential for surface process models.
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Testing geological origins of fast groundwater pathways using machine learning
New machine learning methods help scientists rank interpretations of geophysical data – and in the process understand important groundwater flow pathways.
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State-of-the-Knowledge: Linking Hydrological and Biogeochemical Processes in Riparian Corridors
In this editorial, the authors put forth that dynamic hydrologic connectivity is a primary factor leading to high biogeochemical activity in riparian corridors.
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Hidden processes during seasonal isolation of a high-altitude watershed
Fluvially-produced methane is a significant contributor to atmospheric concentrations and more complete annual sampling will lend insight and better accountability for global methane budgets.
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Meander-bound Floodplains as a Scaling Motif for understanding how the Soil Microbiome influence Watershed Biogeochemical Cycles
Meander-bound floodplains share a core microbiome and serve as a scaling motif for watershed-scale models of microbially-mediated biogeochemical processes.
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The Colorado East River Community Observatory Data Collection
An overview of the spatially extensive, heterogeneous measurements and public datasets collected at the East River Watershed, Colorado.
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Impact of agricultural managed aquifer recharge practices on groundwater quality
This is the first-of-its-kind study to quantify how legacy nitrogen in agricultural environments responds to changing hydrologic application rates and frequencies under agricultural managed aquifer recharge (AgMAR).
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Jill Banfield Wins the 2023 van Leeuwenhoek Medal
The award was given for Jill’s contributions to the understanding of microbial communities and interactions between microbes and the environment.
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Ken Williams Honored with LBNL Director’s Award for Stewardship
In its inaugural year, the 2022 LBNL Director’s Stewardship Award has been awarded to Ken Williams, the Watershed Function SFA Deputy Lead for Operations. The award was given in recognition of Ken’s efforts in establishing the East River study site as a community observatory that serves a vast network of collaborators. Read more » Award […]
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Sebastian Uhlemann Receives Near-Surface Geophysics Honor
Sebastian Uhlemann has been named the recipient of the Near-Surface Geophysics Early Career Achievement Award from AGU.
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SAIL Comes to East River: A Climate Observatory to Understand the Future of Water
Featured in Science Magazine, the Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL) will make its debut at the East River, CO Watershed in September 2021.
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Carroll Speaks on NPR Morning Edition about Monsoons and Snowpack
Rosemary Carroll speaks with NPR about monsoons and snowpack in the East River watershed.
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Williams interviewed for Carbondale, CO newspaper on Grizzly Creek fire
SFA Field Deputy Ken Williams was interviewed for the Sopris Sun, a newspaper based out of Carbondale, CO.
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Steltzer on the power of narrative to inspire climate activism
Heidi Steltzer speaks about the power of narrative to inspire climate activism on KBUT, a community radio station in Gunnison County, CO.
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New study holds implications for future water supply in the Colorado River Basin
Results showed monsoon rains produced half the amount of streamflow compared to spring snow of the same water input.
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Stunning Visuals Tell a Fluid Story of Water in the Upper Gunnison River Basin
Using the ArcGIS StoryMaps platform and stunning visuals, the story focuses on the Colorado Upper Gunnison River Basin—home to the Watershed Function SFA’s study site, the East River Watershed.
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Watershed Function at AGU 2020
Researchers from the Watershed Function SFA are thoroughly engaged in this year’s 2020 AGU fall meeting, which will take place virtually December 1 – 17, 2020.
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