Water Systems Analysis Group
a global hydrology research group
within the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space
at the University of New Hampshire
Research Themes
Arctic Hydrology
Global greenhouse warming is already impacting the Arctic regions of the world to a greater extent than in temperate and tropical regions. Changes in snow accumulation and melting, a reduction in the extent of sea ice and increases in freshwater fluxes to the Arctic Ocean have already been observed. Freshwater inputs exert a surprisingly large impact on the water circulation of the Arctic Ocean and on the global ocean circulation as well.
Humans and the Global Water Cycle
Recent studies have indicated that direct human manipulation of rivers, groundwaters, upland and coastal river basins may now have detectable signatures at the global scale. Using tools already developed to foster regional to global-scale synthesis studies, we are establishing a global geography of emerging water problems and their social implications.
Monitoring the Status of Inland and Coastal Waters
We are developing tools that will give us a real time picture of the state of water over regional, continental, and global scales. We have partnered with monitoring agencies throughout the world to meet this objective, including the Global Ocean Observing System, World Meteorological Organization, UNESCO, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, US Geological Survey, Russian State Hydrological Institute, and the International Association of Hydrological Sciences.
Land-River-Coastal Systems
Land, rivers, lakes, and wetlands mobilize, transform, and deliver water and chemical constituents to the world's coastal zones. The human dimension of this linkage has been poorly articulated, yet the slender coastal fringe surrounding the land mass is particularly vulnerable to changes in upland drainage basin dynamics. This lack of knowledge becomes critical as some estimates indicate that 50-60% of the global population currently lives in the coastal zone and this fraction is sure to rise over the coming decades.