Principal Investigator:

Co-Principal Investigators:

Co-Principal Investigators:

Within the Susquehanna River basin and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed we are focusing on several sub-watersheds at nested scales to apply integrated modeling and observing. The modeling strategy is to examine physics-based, distributed modeling at nested spatial scales within the Juniata River, a large sub-basin to the Susquehanna River Basin. At present the small watershed model (Shale Hills~20 acres; pictured right) is complete, the intermediate scale watershed is underway (Spruce Creek Watershed ~300 mi2) with preliminary calibration, and the large scale model (Juniata River basin ~3400 mi2) is in planning.

At present we are focusing our research on the Penn State Experimental Forest at approximately 40.66756° N / 77.9347° W. Land use is forested with recreational facilities such as a lake and environmental center. Topography is fairly variable with ~1000 ft of relief over the area. Terrain is underlain by shale and limestone. The Penn State Experimental Forest is located within the Valley and Ridge physiographic province of central Pennsylvania. Hydrologically, it is part of the Susquehanna River basin, the major tributary to Chesapeake Bay. This region happens to receive some of the highest rates of acidic fallout in the US. Broadly, the region represents a dominant landform and ecosystem for the Upper Susquehanna River basin and is a major source area of fresh water supply and a major contributor of non-point source nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

Our small-scale testbed at Shale Hills is being coordinated and served via the internet by the Real-Time Hydrologic Network (RTH_Net), a collaborative project among diverse academic departments at Penn State University and other institutions such as Drexel, San Diego Supercomputer Center and Johns Hopkins. The RTH_Net project website is located at www.engr.psu.edu/rth_net/index.htm.

The Penn State Experimental Forest has been the site of water resource and environmental investigations focusing on sustainability of northeastern forests, water yield, and water quality. Legacy data has been collected for approximately 50 years concerning biogeochemical cycling of unmanaged ecosystems with impacts due to climate change and atmospheric deposition. An ongoing 50 year study has looked at the effect of clear-cutting and other forestry techniques on the ecosystem. There is an NADP site at the Leading Ridge Watershed which has long-term record of wet deposition and climate (nadp.sws.uiuc.edu). Additionally it is part of an EPA Long-term Monitoring network of five forested sites being monitored to determine the impacts of reductions in atmospheric deposition on stream chemistry, aquatic and forest ecosystems.

This proposed research plan attempts to demonstrate how a unification of modeling, existing digital data, and new data collection strategies will advance our understanding of river basin water resources and support the design of hydrologic observatories.

• Research Task 1 - A Synthesis of Community Data and Modeling for Advancing River Basin Science: The Evolving Susquehanna River Basin Experiment (PDF)
• Research Task 2 - CUAHSI/CLEANER Demonstration and Development of a Test-bed Digital Observatory for the Susquehanna River Basin and Chesapeake Bay (PDF)

• Susquehanna River Basin Hydrologic Observing System (SRBHOS)