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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Stream temperature
Urban ecohydrology
Watershed modeling
Remote sensing of hydrology
Modeling complex systems
Stream temperature
Stream temperature
Water temperatures of streams are a key condition that influences stream biology, chemistry, and physical processes. Factors in a landscape (e.g., shade, topography) exert critical controls on temperature regimes - magnitudes and ranges - that must be understood to optimally manage stream ecosystems.
With the USFS, I study these landscape factors and determine the strength of their control on stream thermal processes. We currently are focusing on both snow effects on stream temperatures and dynamic relative importance of landscape controls over seasons.
Urban ecohydrology
Urban ecohydrology
Urban environments are uniquely impacted by highly heterogeneous land cover and physical properties that absorb and retain heat differently from natural systems. This additional urban heat can have significant impacts on human and environmental health and directly interacts with the water and vegetative processes and cycles.
My research aims to measure and characterize these complex interactions through ground station measurements, satellite data, and modeling. Better understanding of these processes allows for informed management to mitigate negative consequences of increasing heat in urban environs.
Watershed modeling
Watershed modeling
Models represent natural and managed systems through simple or complex mathematical approximations. They offer an opportunity to explore the potential impact of alternative land management or expected future environmental change. Ecohydrolgoic models aim to integrate systems, considering water, nutrient, and plant dynamics jointly.
In my research I use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a globally-applied, watershed-scale, ecohydrologic model. My focus is on soil water processes in SWAT, which are critical to water movement, plant production, and nutrient transport processes. By quantifying their sensitivity to soil water, it is possible to motivate methods to improve soil water model representation, and ultimately improve confidence in model simulations in decision support for stakeholders and policymakers.
Remote sensing of hydrology
Remote sensing of hydrology
Remote sensing technologies, broadly defined, include any sensor that is not in contact with a target. Generally, they are advanced instruments that cover specific regions of the electromagnetic spectrum on airborne or satellite platforms. Remote sensing is advantageous as it is non-destructive, easily repeatable, and globally viable.
My research focuses on the application of microwave remote sensing data for hydrology, specifically soil water content. There are several currently opertaional sensors in this domain that regularly acquire data, such as the NASA Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) mission or the ESA Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission.
Improving model representation of complex systems
Improving model representation of complex systems
Because models represent an imperfect approximation of complex environmental systems, it is important to continually work to identify their deficiencies and improve their predictive capability. Models can be improved by correcting their structure and fundamental equations, or by bringing in additional observed data to constrain and update their predictions.
My interest is in using observed variables, either from remote sensing or ground-based sensors, and directly updating model estimates or testing the viability of new model equations. I am particularly interested in the effects of updates to hydrology on water quality predictions that rely upon the distribution and movement of water and its application to best management practices.
Contact: gpignotti [at] gmail.com
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