My masters graduate research was conducted in the Valles Caldera, in northern New Mexico, and involved examining how variable energy fluxes might affect the mountain catchment hydrology of the region.  Specifically, I studied the landscape in terms of aspect (slope-direction) to control the amount of incoming solar insulation (and thus, how much energy) a particular hillslope receives.  I looked at a variety of factors such as residence times of near-surface water as well as the effects of water storage and water fluxes on differently oriented slopes using a distributed physically-based hydrologic model.  I also put together a movie that describes the use of Google Earth as a visualization tool for information that is important to hydrology and other earth sciences.

Animations: As part of my graduate research, I developed a physically-based model to understand hydrologic differences between north- and south-facing slopes.  Below are some examples of animations produced by the model.

December Solar Radiation Animation
March Solar Radiation Animation
Snow Melt Animation
Soil Moisture Animation

Maps: These maps are visual representations of the input layers to the modeling efforts.  They show the unique structural characteristics of the Valles Caldera.

Elevation | Slope | Aspect | Southness | Topographic Index| Canopy Coverage

If the above movie doesn't play, Click Here