EPIC · EPIC - ExPloring the ecohydrological Impacts of a changing Cryosphere in the Peruvian Andes

Glacier runoff is vital for the downstream populations and ecosystems of the Peruvian Andes. However previous predictions of future runoff have failed to take account of the complexity of the glacier surface energy balance nor of future vegetation succession. Our project aims to provide a new, interdisciplinary understanding of the possible futures of the hydrology of the Cordillera Blanca, combining changes in climate, glaciers, hydrology and ecosystems, and disentangling their interactions. We will use the advanced ecohydrological model Tethys-Chloris, which takes a physically-based approach to representing glacier and catchment processes. We will determine both the key drivers of Peruvian glacier mass balance and the role of vegetation in altering the catchment water balance. Through ‘big-data’ remote sensing approaches we will identify the past changes in land cover and wetland area and how they have coincided with glacier recession. We will then assess the future of the region’s hydrology, including the changing climate, glacier evolution and scenarios of vegetation succession, to provide a holistic view of the controls on projected catchment runoff. The proposed fellow has a strong background in the glacier surface energy balance, remote sensing and glacier hydrology, but she will diversify her knowledge to encapsulate catchment modelling, ecological understanding and the use of large geospatial data archives. She will be supported by Dr Francesca Pellicciotti who is a world-class scientist specialising in the use of physically-based approaches to modelling high mountain catchments. This project will therefore not only provide unique insights into the future hydrology of the Peruvian Andes but will also provide a springboard for the fellow to become a truly interdisciplinary researcher working at the interface between glaciology, ecology and catchment hydrology.