Curtis Beutler and Austin Shirley – winter research at rmbl

Even though the road to Gothic is closed in the wintertime, research and discovery happens all year long. Spend a few minutes learning about the hydrology of mountainous systems with Curtis Beutler and Austin Shirley, scientific research associates for a RMBL-Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory project.

The Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area project focuses on understanding how mountainous systems retain and release water, nutrients, carbon, and metals in response to climate perturbations, such as drought and early snowmelt. Curtis and Austin have been studying changes to snowpack, surface/groundwater variability, snow density and temperature, and ecosystem dynamics in the East River Watershed.

Immerse yourself in the winter landscapes on Snodgrass Mountain as we follow along with Curtis and Austin to better understand water availability in the snowpack and predict how water will move through the East River valley this spring and summer. Watch the video below!