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A New Project – An Earth Systems Modeling Framework for

Understanding Biogeochemical Cycling in the Context of Climate Variability

Aqu

ati

cA

tmosp

heri

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VIC: HydrologyCropSyst/RHESSys: Terrestrial Nutrient

Dynamics

Stream-flowRouting

ColSim: Reservoir Operations & Withdrawals

Unaltered Stream-flow

Global NEWS: Nutrient Transport

in Channels

Nutrients, Sediment:Transport & Retention

Altered Stream-flow,

Reservoir Storage

Regional Economics: Agricultural Nutrient and Water Use

CCSM4: Global Climate

WRF: Meteorology

CMAQ: Atmospheric Chemistry

MEGAN: Biogenic

Emissions

Coupled Land-Atmosphere

Meteorology (T, P, U, V, W,

Q, R)

Soil moisture, LAI, canopy T & R

Regional-scale T, P, R, & O3,

and deposition of NO3, NH4

+, Hg, and S

Energy fluxes, soil moisture, surface

albedo, and emissions

of VOC, NOX, NH3, N2O, & CO2

Runoff & Baseflow; Irrigation Withdrawals Nutrients & Sediments

Terr

est

rial

Aerosol optical properties & CCN

Large-scale T, P, U, V, W, Q, R

First Steps: Land/Atmosphere 1-Way LinkagesAs a first step in developing BioEarth, we are conducting a variety of investigations to understand the one-way impacts and linkages between various components of the earth system. One such study involves using the simulated atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (ADN) data from the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and observed nitrogen deposition from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) as external inputs to the Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys). The Regional Hydro-ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys) is a physical model that incorporates hydrology with relevant biogeochemical cycling within ecosystems. CMAQ is a comprehensive chemical transport model that explicitly accounts for wet and dry deposition of a suite of N gas and aerosol species.

We will compare the sensitivity of RHESSys-simulated (short- and long-term soil and plant) biogeochemical processes to ADN inputs as determined by:

Motivation: The 21st Century’s Grand Challenges include understanding how changes in the balance of nutrients -- carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus -- in soil, water, and air affect the functioning of ecosystems, atmospheric chemistry, and human health.

Project Goal: Our goal is to improve understanding of the interactions among carbon, nitrogen and water at the regional scale, in the context of global change, to inform decision makers’ strategies regarding natural and agricultural resource management.

Approach: We are creating a modeling framework over the Pacific Northwest region by integrating a suite of state-of-the-art process-based models that are currently in existence and that are undergoing continuous development. The framework includes atmospheric models (for meteorology and atmospheric chemistry), land surface models (for hydrology, cropping systems, and biogeochemical cycling), aquatic models (for reservoir operations and nutrient export in rivers), and economic models.

Mission: This project’s mission is to:

• develop skill in integrated modeling of biogeochemical cycles,

• explicate potentially important responses to climate variability,

• understand the information needs of both resource managers and stakeholders, and

• forge among them a partnership founded on a common understanding of our region’s dependence on regional biospheric health.

Below are time-series data of wet nitrogen deposition for the HJ Andrews Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in central Oregon (see map above) from the NADP.

Planned BioEarth First Year Milestones• Offline evaluation of component models.• Further investigation into 1-way linkages between component models, e.g.

CMAQ and RHESSys (as described above).• Full coupling of VIC and CropSyst.• Preliminary coupling of VIC and RHESSys.• Update coupling between VIC and WRF.

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 20100

0.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

Constant NADP

N d

epos

itio

n

(kg/

ha)

Principal Investigators:J.C. Adam, S.H. Chung*, B.K. Lamb, F.-Y. Leung, & J.K. Vaughan, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University (WSU)

M. Brady & J.K. Yoder, School of Economic Sciences, WSU

Y. Chen, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Oregon State University

R.D. Evans, School of Biological Sciences, WSU

J.A. Harrison, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, WSU

A. Kalyanaraman, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, WSU

C. Kruger, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, WSU

A.B. Perleberg, Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences and Extension, WSU

C.O. Stöckle, Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering, WSU

C.L. Tague, Bren School, University of California, Santa Barbara

A. Guenther, National Center for Atmospheric Research

J.C. Stephens, Environmental Science and Policy Program, Clark University

L.R. Leung, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

*Poster Presenter

Comparison of time-series NADP with default constant total atmospheric deposition of N in RHESSys.

• Observed wet/dry ADN depositions• CMAQ-simulated wet/dry ADN

(historical and future projected under climate change)

• Hypothetical perturbations of ADN:• Chronic low level, chronic high level• Spikes• Long-term increase or decrease

High: 1627.3Meters

Elevation (m)

Low: 411.57,5005,0002,5000