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Description of  Challenges and Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences

The publication of Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences in 1991 was a watershed event for the hydrologic sciences. This highly influential report of a National Research Council (NRC) committee set forth a corresponding research agenda for the field. Since 1991, completely new possibilities for learning how water shapes the surface of Earth (and other planets) and creates vegetation patterns, how the hydrology of the land surface both drive and is driven by atmospheric processes, and how a host of the research questions posed in the 1991 publication now can be attacked advantageously. In addition to establishing the conceptual, empirical, and theoretical foundations of the science, refining and bolstering the fundamental base for hydrologic sciences is ever more essential to support those who grapple with a multitude of water-related problems in a world that needs more energy, more food, and more water for humans while protecting ecosystem integrity, biodiversity, and irreplaceable landscapes. Challenges and Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences explains that research opportunities to advance hydrologic sciences promise a better understanding of the role of water in the Earth system that could help improve human welfare and the health of the environment. Reaching this understanding will require both exploratory research to better understand how the natural environment functions, and problem-driven research to meet needs such as flood protection, supply of drinking water, irrigation, and water pollution. Collaboration among hydrologists, engineers, and scientists in other disciplines will be central to meeting the interdisciplinary research challenges outlined in this book. New technological capabilities in remote sensing, chemical analysis, computation, and hydrologic modeling will help scientists leverage new research opportunities. This report is an important reference for state and local governments, federal agencies, relevant congressional committees, sponsors, and researchers.