Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER): Scientific Objectives and Experimental Design

TLDR

The Heihe River Basin ecohydrological research plan was launched by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2010. HiWATER aims to improve observability of hydrological and ecological processes, build a world‑class watershed observing system, and enhance remote sensing for integrated eco‑hydrological studies and basin‑scale water resource management. HiWATER was implemented with a flux observing matrix, eco‑hydrological wireless sensor network, and airborne missions, will run from May 2012 to 2015, and will make data available through the Environmental and Ecological Science Data Center for West China while inviting international scientists.

Abstract

A major research plan entitled “Integrated research on the ecohydrological process of the Heihe River Basin” was launched by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2010. One of the key aims of this research plan is to establish a research platform that integrates observation, data management, and model simulation to foster twenty-first-century watershed science in China. Based on the diverse needs of interdisciplinary studies within this research plan, a program called the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) was implemented. The overall objective of HiWATER is to improve the observability of hydrological and ecological processes, to build a world-class watershed observing system, and to enhance the applicability of remote sensing in integrated ecohydrological studies and water resource management at the basin scale. This paper introduces the background, scientific objectives, and experimental design of HiWATER. The instrumental setting and airborne mission plans are also outlined. The highlights are the use of a flux observing matrix and an eco-hydrological wireless sensor network to capture multiscale heterogeneities and to address complex problems, such as heterogeneity, scaling, uncertainty, and closing water cycle at the watershed scale. HiWATER was formally initialized in May 2012 and will last four years until 2015. Data will be made available to the scientific community via the Environmental and Ecological Science Data Center for West China. International scientists are welcome to participate in the field campaign and use the data in their analyses.