Concepts

The depth of water that would result from melting the snowpack, quantified as peak snow water equivalent and snow disappearance rate

Proportion of area covered by snow

Chemical composition of water occupying soil pore spaces, indicating mobility of dissolved constituents

October through September annual cycle used for water resource analysis

An approximation of non-water stressed evapotranspiration calculated using energy-only methods from net radiation estimates

Naturally occurring isotopes of hydrogen (²H) and oxygen (¹⁸O) in water molecules used to trace water sources and movement through soil-plant systems

Future water flow estimates derived from climate model projections processed through hydrologic models

Distributions that provide fundamental insights on hydrological processes within watersheds by describing how long water spends underground

Statistical distribution describing the number concentration of particles as a function of their size

Speed of water flow in streams, affecting nutrient movement and algal composition

The amount of water stored in soil and subsurface compartments that responds dynamically to hydrological inputs and outputs

The size distribution of sediment particles in aquatic systems, measured using gravelometer techniques

An integrative measure of how much tension there is in the water column of the xylem, reflecting the ease or difficulty a plant has in transporting water from the soil

The number and extent of fractures in bedrock that control fluid flow and transport properties

Patterns of stream flow including magnitude, timing, and duration of high and low flow periods

Parameters including recharge temperature, elevation, and excess-air conditions that control dissolved noble gas concentrations in groundwater

The difference between observed streamflow and expected or baseline streamflow, representing water shortage

A dimensionless ratio of fluid inertial to viscous forces that distinguishes between laminar and turbulent flow regimes