The Role of Snow and Subsurface Heterogeneity in a Mountainous Headwater Catchment in Colorado: A Model-Data Integration Approach

The Role of Snow and Subsurface Heterogeneity in a Mountainous Headwater Catchment in Colorado: A Model-Data Integration Approach | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 7 April 2025 V1 Latest version Share on The Role of Snow and Subsurface Heterogeneity in a Mountainous Headwater Catchment in Colorado: A Model-Data Integration Approach Authors : Lijing Wang 0000-0001-8121-5465 [email protected] , Zexuan Xu 0000-0001-9534-7370 , Chen Wang 0000-0001-9508-7425 , Robin Thibaut , Craig Ulrich 0000-0002-4114-7039 , Matthias Sprenger 0000-0003-1221-2767 , Sebastian Uhlemann 0000-0002-7673-7346 , … Show All … , Yuxin Wu 0000-0002-6953-0179 , Evan King 0009-0008-0337-344X , Haruko Murakami Wainwright 0000-0002-2140-6072 , Rosemary W.H. Carroll 0000-0002-9302-8074 , Curtis A Beutler 0000-0003-0740-3112 , Kenneth Hurst Williams 0000-0002-3568-1155 , and Baptiste Dafflon 0000-0001-9871-5650 Show Fewer Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174405246.68682984/v1 484 views 224 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Mountainous headwater streams are sustained by both snowmelt-driven streamflow and groundwater discharge in the Upper Colorado River Basin. However, predicting headwater stream discharge magnitude and peak flow timing is challenging in mountainous terrains, where snowmelt rates vary substantially across different vegetation types and elevations, and heterogeneous subsurface physical properties influence groundwater storage and its release. To determine the roles of snowmelt, topography and subsurface structure on surface and subsurface water flow, we used a model-data integration approach: we combined observations of snow depth measurements using distributed temperature probes, stream discharge, and groundwater levels with integrated surface-subsurface hydrologic modeling at a mountainous headwater catchment (1.5 km$^2$) near Crested Butte, Colorado. Our models simulated varying snowmelt dynamics across different vegetation types and subsurface structures with distinct physical properties and layers. We also calibrated hydrologic models using field measurements through machine learning-based model calibration. Results indicated slower snowmelt rates in evergreen forests delayed the peak flow and baseflow onset. In upstream areas with lower subsurface permeability, water was stored within the subsurface but was not released as interflow or shallow groundwater flow, and thereby not contributing to downstream streamflow during recession limb periods. This improved understanding of groundwater and snowmelt dynamics in mountainous headwaters enhances our ability to better predict headwater stream discharge and assess headwater resilience in changing climates. Supplementary Material File (1029393_0_merged_1743183572.pdf) Download 41.90 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 07 April 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords headwater streamflow model-data integration mountainous watershed snowmelt dynamics subsurface structure Authors Affiliations Lijing Wang 0000-0001-8121-5465 [email protected] University of Connecticut View all articles by this author Zexuan Xu 0000-0001-9534-7370 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory View all articles by this author Chen Wang 0000-0001-9508-7425 E O Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory View all articles by this author Robin Thibaut Unknown View all articles by this author Craig Ulrich 0000-0002-4114-7039 Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory View all articles by this author Matthias Sprenger 0000-0003-1221-2767 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory View all articles by this author Sebastian Uhlemann 0000-0002-7673-7346 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory View all articles by this author Yuxin Wu 0000-0002-6953-0179 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (DOE) View all articles by this author Evan King 0009-0008-0337-344X Massachusetts Institute of Technology View all articles by this author Haruko Murakami Wainwright 0000-0002-2140-6072 Massachusetts Institute of Technology View all articles by this author Rosemary W.H. Carroll 0000-0002-9302-8074 Desert Research Institute View all articles by this author Curtis A Beutler 0000-0003-0740-3112 Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory View all articles by this author Kenneth Hurst Williams 0000-0002-3568-1155 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (DOE) View all articles by this author Baptiste Dafflon 0000-0001-9871-5650 Lawrence Berkeley National Lab View all articles by this author Funding Information U.S. Department of Energy DE-AC02-05CH11231 Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 484 views 224 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Lijing Wang, Zexuan Xu, Chen Wang, et al. The Role of Snow and Subsurface Heterogeneity in a Mountainous Headwater Catchment in Colorado: A Model-Data Integration Approach. Authorea . 07 April 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174405246.68682984/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. 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