Geology topics

Heidi Roop

Publications and source records attributed to Heidi Roop.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Simulations of Minnesota water budget components using the Soil-Water-Balance model, past (1981-2022) and future (2040-2059 and 2080-2099)

This study presents historical estimates and future projections of net infiltration (potential recharge), actual evapotranspiration (ET), surface runoff, and related water budget components across Minnesota using the USGS Soil Water Balance model, version 2 (SWB). The model was calibrated to streamflow and actual ET observations from 2000–2022, achieving an overall r² of 0.973 with a standard error of 0.002 inches per year (in/yr). Two primary sets of simulations were produced. First, historical water budget components for 1981–2022 were estimated using observed daily PRISM weather data. During this period, Minnesota’s mean annual precipitation was 28.5 in/yr. The calibrated SWB model simulated mean annual actual ET of 21.6 in/yr, mean annual surface runoff of 3.0 in/yr, and mean annual net infiltration of 4.0 in/yr for Minnesota. Second, water budget component projections were simulated for 1995–2014, 2040–59, and 2080–99 using 4 kilometer, dynamically downscaled climate models representing intermediate, high, and very high emissions scenarios. All future climate models showed warming relative to the historical period, leading to consistent responses in temperature‑sensitive components on an annual basis: less snowfall and snowmelt and higher reference ET. Seasonal shifts were also apparent, with most models projecting increases in winter precipitation, actual ET, runoff, and net infiltration, and decreases in summer and fall precipitation, actual ET, and net infiltration relative to the historical period. The accompanying data products are intended for estimating multi-year mean water budget components at spatial scales no smaller than the smallest watershed included in model calibration (about 20 square miles). These updated historical estimates and future projections provide decision relevant information for water resource managers and offer a framework for developing long range projections of water budget variables.

EarthArXiv↗

USGS2025

Managing for tomorrow—A climate adaptation decision framework

Climate change presents new and compounding challenges to natural resource management. With changing climate patterns, managers are confronted with difficult decisions on how to minimize climate effects on habitats, infrastructure, and wildlife populations. To support climate adaptation decision making, we first conceptualized an approach that integrates the principles of the resist–accept–direct framework, climate scenario planning, and decision analysis into a general framework to support adaptation planning. This framework was implemented and refined by working with three National Wildlife Refuge System refuges within the Midwest Region. The objectives of this report are to describe the climate adaptation decision framework and provide guidance for how to apply the framework to support transparent, consistent, and decision-focused adaptation planning. We include a workbook to support the application of each step of the framework as well as lessons learned from our experiences developing the framework. The climate adaptation decision framework has wide applicability to aid adaptation planning within natural resource management and underscores the important role of engaging interest groups in climate adaptation decisions.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Miss↗

USGS2017

A global multiproxy database for temperature reconstructions of the Common Era

Reproducible climate reconstructions of the Common Era (1 CE to present) are key to placing industrial-era warming into the context of natural climatic variability. Here we present a community-sourced database of temperature-sensitive proxy records from the PAGES2k initiative. The database gathers 692 records from 648 locations, including all continental regions and major ocean basins. The records are from trees, ice, sediment, corals, speleothems, documentary evidence, and other archives. They range in length from 50 to 2000 years, with a median of 547 years, while temporal resolution ranges from biweekly to centennial. Nearly half of the proxy time series are significantly correlated with HadCRUT4.2 surface temperature over the period 1850–2014. Global temperature composites show a remarkable degree of coherence between high- and low-resolution archives, with broadly similar patterns across archive types, terrestrial versus marine locations, and screening criteria. The database is suited to investigations of global and regional temperature variability over the Common Era, and is shared in the Linked Paleo Data (LiPD) format, including serializations in Matlab, R and Python.

Scientific Data↗

USGS2015

Spatial patterns of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur using ion-exchange resin collectors in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

Lakes and streams in Class 1 wilderness areas in the western United States (U.S.) are at risk from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), and protection of these resources is mandated under the Federal Clean Air Act and amendments. Assessment of critical loads, which are the maximum exposure to pollution an area can receive without adverse effects on sensitive ecosystems, requires accurate deposition estimates. However, deposition is difficult and expensive to measure in high-elevation wilderness, and spatial patterns in N and S deposition in these areas remain poorly quantified. In this study, ion-exchange resin (IER) collectors were used to measure dissolved inorganic N (DIN) and S deposition during June 2006–September 2007 at approximately 20 alpine/subalpine sites spanning the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park. Results indicated good agreement between deposition estimated from IER collectors and commonly used wet + dry methods during summer, but poor agreement during winter. Snowpack sampling was found to be a more accurate way of quantifying DIN and S deposition during winter. Summer DIN deposition was significantly greater on the east side of the park than on the west side (25–50%; p ≤ 0.03), consistent with transport of pollutants to the park from urban and agricultural areas to the east. Sources of atmospheric nitrate (NO 3 − ) were examined using N isotopes. The average δ 15 N of NO 3 − from IER collectors was 3.5&permil; higher during winter than during summer ( p < 0.001), indicating a seasonal shift in the relative importance of regional NO x sources, such as coal combustion and vehicular sources of atmospheric NO 3 − . There were no significant differences in δ 15 N of NO 3 − between east and west sides of the park during summer or winter ( p = 0.83), indicating that the two areas may have similar sources of atmospheric NO 3 − . Results from this study indicate that a combination of IER collectors and snowpack sampling can be used to characterize spatial variability in DIN and S deposition in high-elevation wilderness areas. These data can improve our ability to model critical loads by filling gaps in geographic coverage of deposition monitoring/modeling programs and thus may enable policy makers to better protect sensitive natural resources in Class 1 Wilderness areas.

Colorado↗

USGS2013

Effects of stock use and backpackers on water quality in wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, USA

During 2010-2011, a study was conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) to evaluate the influence of pack animals (stock) and backpackers on water quality in wilderness lakes and streams. The study had three main components: (1) a synoptic survey of water quality in wilderness areas of the parks, (2) paired water-quality sampling above and below several areas with differing types and amounts of visitor use, and (3) intensive monitoring at six sites to document temporal variations in water quality. Data from the synoptic water-quality survey indicated that wilderness lakes and streams are dilute and have low nutrient and Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. The synoptic survey sites were categorized as minimal use, backpacker use, or mixed use (stock and backpackers), depending on the most prevalent type of use upstream from the sampling locations. Sites with mixed use tended to have higher concentrations of most constituents (including E.coli) than those categorized as minimal-use (p≤0.05); concentrations at backpacker-use sites were intermediate. Data from paired-site sampling indicated that E.coli, total coliform, and particulate phosphorus concentrations were greater in streams downstream from mixed-use areas than upstream from those areas (p≤0.05). Paired-site data also indicated few statistically significant differences in nutrient, E. coli, or total coliform concentrations in streams upstream and downstream from backpacker-use areas. The intensive-monitoring data indicated that nutrient and E. coli concentrations normally were low, except during storms, when notable increases in concentrations of E.coli, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and turbidity occurred. In summary, results from this study indicate that water quality in SEKI wilderness generally is good, except during storms; and visitor use appears to have a small, but statistically significant influence on stream water quality.

Kings Canyon National Park;Sequoia National Park↗