Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

12 Dec, 07 AM - 14 Dec, 07 AM

Project Summary Enhanced California Climate Monitoring Project Sponsor California Energy Commission California Institute for Energy and Environment Project Duration April 2004 - March 2009 Kelly Redmond Western Regional Climate Center Desert Research Institute Reno Nevada Climate and its variations are estimated to have an effect of 10-20 percent of the trillion dollar economy of the state of California. Changes in climate appear to be under way in the Far West, and yet we do not have a monitoring system in place specifically designed to detect and report on such changes as they unfold. The purpose of this 5-year project is to identify gaps in how the climate of California is monitored, provide improvements in knowledge of climate in the state, and disseminate this information for public, policy, and technical use. This effort begins with an evaluation of existing sources of data, locations of stations, and quality and type of information. This stage also involves consultation with state and federal agencies and with the climate research community. Significant partners include the California Department of Water Resources and the California Climate Change Center at Scripps. In such a vast state with so much climate diversity, the approach being taken is to focus on selected clusters and transects, with special emphasis on regions with strong spatial gradients in climate, and under-observed geographic settings. Mountains and coastlines will receive preference at the start. A transect has been identified that extends from the central Coast to the North Fork American River and east of the Sierra Crest. Other sites will range to the top of the White Mountains, and other parts of the state are being considered as well. Some sites will be completely new, and others will consist of augmentations to existing sites. Strong preference is given to locations not expecting development or changes in site characteristics (vegetation, land use, etc) for several decades, and thus stable land ownership. Another priority is suitably open exposure. All sites will have live communication, and all data will be posted to the internet and freely available. Typical measurements include temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, solar radiation, snow depth, and soil temperatures, from a tower usually 10 meters in height. Available resources will likely be able to support 10-15 sites within the state. The project is willing to join forces with all partners interested in fostering long term climate observations in the state of California.

Visit #8523 @Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 5989 | Research

Enhanced California Climate Monitoring

research_scientist - Desert Research Institute

Reservation Members(s)

David Simeral Dec 12 - 14, 2005 (3 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Whale Point Researcher Cabin 1 Dec 12 - 14, 2005