Meteorological and geographical factors associated with dry lightning in central and northern California

Environmental Research: Climate (IOP) | August 8th, 2022

Lightning occurring with less than 2.5 mm of rainfall—typically referred to as ‘dry lightning’—is a major source of wildfire ignition in central and northern Cali

Lightning occurring with less than 2.5 mm of rainfall—typically referred to as ‘dry lightning’—is a major source of wildfire ignition in central and northern California. Despite being rare, dry lightning outbreaks have resulted in destructive fires in this region due to the intersection of dense, dry vegetation and a large population living adjacent to fire-prone lands. Since thunderstorms are much less common in this region relative to the interior West, the climatology and drivers of dry lightning have not been widely investigated in central and northern California. Using daily gridded lightning and precipitation observations (1987–2020) in combination with atmospheric reanalyses, we characterize the climatology of dry lightning and the associated meteorological conditions during the warm season (May–October) when wildfire risk is highest. Across the domain, nearly half (∼46%) of all cloud-to-ground lightning flashes occurred as dry lightning during the study period. We find that higher elevations (>2000 m) receive more dry lightning compared to lower elevations (

Mokelumne watershed avoided cost analysis: Why Sierra fuel treatments make economic sense

Sierra Nevada Conservancy | April 10th, 2014

High-severity wildfires in forests of California’s Sierra Nevada pose a serious threat to people and nature. Although proactive forest management can reduce the risk of

High-severity wildfires in forests of California’s Sierra Nevada pose a serious threat to people and nature. Although proactive forest management can reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire, the pace and scale of fuel treatments is insufficient, given the growing scope of the problem. Using the upper Mokelumne River watershed as a representative case, we sought to answer the following question: Does it make economic sense to increase investment in fuel treatments to reduce the risk of large, damaging wildfires? Our analysis suggests that the economic benefits of landscape- scale fuel-reduction treatments far outweigh the costs of wildfire. 

Mono Lake: background, Decision 1631, current conditions, ongoing developments

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | January 1st, 2023

Mountain Rivers

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | January 1st, 2000

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 14. I wrote this book in response to a need expressed by one of my

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 14. I wrote this book in response to a need expressed by one of my Ph.D. students, David Merritt, who walked into my office one afternoon for a summary reference on mountain rivers. Search as I might, I could not find such a reference in my files. I did find a stack of individual articles, however, and sent David on his way loaded up with them. As I thought about it, I realized that a summary reference on mountain rivers could be very useful, particularly given the increasing interest in the subject that I have noticed these last few years. Thus I began to write a review of the fluvial geomorphology of mountain rivers and, as such volumes will, this grew into a broader review of physical, biological, and chemical characteristics of mountain rivers, and of human interactions with these rivers.

Mountain Rivers Revisited

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | January 1st, 2010

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 19. What are the forms and processes characteristic of mountain riv

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 19. What are the forms and processes characteristic of mountain rivers and how do we know them? Mountain Rivers Revisited, an expanded and updated version of the earlier volume Mountain Rivers, answers these questions and more. Here is the only comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge about mountain rivers available. While continuing to focus on physical process and form in mountain rivers, the text also addresses the influences of tectonics, climate, and land use on rivers, as well as water chemistry, hyporheic exchange, and riparian and aquatic ecology. With its numerous illustrations and references, hydrologists, geomorphologists, civil and environmental engineers, ecologists, resource planners, and their students will find this book an essential resource.

Mountain rock glaciers contain globally significant water stores

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | February 12th, 2018

Glacier- and snowpack-derived meltwaters are threatened by climate change. Features such as rock glaciers (RGs) are climatically more resilient than glaciers and

Glacier- and snowpack-derived meltwaters are threatened by climate change. Features such as rock glaciers (RGs) are climatically more resilient than glaciers and potentially contain hydrologically valuable ice volumes. However, while the distribution and hydrological significance of glaciers is well studied, RGs have received comparatively little attention. Here, we present the first near-global RG database (RGDB) through an analysis of current inventories and this contains >73,000 RGs. Using the RGDB, we identify key data-deficient regions as research priorities (e.g., Central Asia). We provide the first approximation of near-global RG water volume equivalent and this is 83.72 ± 16.74 Gt. Excluding the Antarctic and Subantarctic, Greenland Periphery, and regions lacking data, we estimate a near-global RG to glacier water volume equivalent ratio of 1:456. Significant RG water stores occur in arid and semi-arid regions (e.g., South Asia East, 1:57). These results represent a first-order approximation. Uncertainty in the water storage estimates includes errors within the RGDB, inherent flaws in the meta-analysis methodology, and RG thickness estimation. Here, only errors associated with the assumption of RG ice content are quantified and overall uncertainty is likely larger than that quantified. We suggest that RG water stores will become increasingly important under future climate warming.

National Audubon Society v. Superior Court of Alpine County

Supreme Court of California | February 17th, 1983

Notes on Gold Milling in California

Scientific American | December 28th, 1895

Performance of Fire Danger Indices and Their Utility in Predicting Future Wildfire Danger Over the Conterminous United States

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | November 20th, 2023

Petition For Rulemaking to Set Minimum Flows on the Shasta River

Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center | January 20th, 2024

Decades of scientific inquiry make clear that adequate quality and quantity of flows are needed to prevent remaining fish populations from further decline. Yet this scien

Decades of scientific inquiry make clear that adequate quality and quantity of flows are needed to prevent remaining fish populations from further decline. Yet this science is not self-executing; effective government intervention is necessary to prevent the extirpation of salmonids in the Shasta. This type of government action is at the core of the Public Trust Doctrine, which requires the government to act as a trustee over public trust resources, and to the extent feasible, step in to protect these resources from over-allocation and over-use.