Noah Molotch

  • Noah Molotch
    University of Colorado Boulder
     noah.molotch@colorado.edu
    Also on the web

    Noah Molotch

    Principal Investigator

    My research and teaching interests are focused on mountain hydrology and fostering a diverse and equitable scientific community. My research projects utilize ground-based observations, remote sensing, and computational modeling to obtain comprehensive understanding of hydrological processes; in particular the distribution of snowmelt, soil moisture and streamflow.  Studies relating fluxes of water and carbon are also a focus of my current projects - in particular carbon cycling in montane forests.  I mentor a diverse group of scientists and seek collaborations with individuals with unique perspectives and life experiences.

Projects

Publications

  • Yang, Kehan, Keith N. Musselman, Karl Rittger, Steven A. Margulis, Thomas H. Painter, and Noah P. Molotch. 2022. “Combining Ground-Based and Remotely Sensed Snow Data in a Linear Regression Model for Real-Time Estimation of Snow Water Equivalent.” Advances in Water Resources 160 (February): 104075.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2021.104075
  • Hale, K.E., A.N. Wlostowski, S.P. Anderson, *A.M. Badger, K.N. Musselman, B. Livneh, and N.P. Molotch, 2022: Streamflow sensitivity to climate warming through the lens of surface water input, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 39, 100976.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100976

  • Barnhart, Theodore B., Jelena Vukomanovic, Patrick Bourgeron, and Noah P. Molotch. 2021. “Future Land Cover and Climate May Drive Decreases in Snow Wind‐scour and Transpiration, Increasing Streamflow at a Colorado, USA Headwater Catchment.” Hydrological Processes 35 (11).   https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14416

  • Bjarke, N.R., B. Livneh, S. Elmendorf, N. Molotch, E. Hinckley, J. Morse, N. Emery, P. Johnson, and K. Suding, 2021: Catchment scale observations at the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research site, Hydrological Processes.   https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14320

  • Badger, *A.M., N.R. Bjarke, N. Molotch, and B. Livneh, 2021: The sensitivity of runoff generation to spatial snowpack uniformity in an alpine watershed: Green Lakes Valley, Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Station, Hydrological Processes, e14331.   https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14331

  • Heldmyer, A.J., B. Livneh, B. Rajagopalan, and N. Molotch, 2021: Investigating the Relationship Between Peak Snow-Water Equivalent and Snow Timing Indices in the Western U.S. and Alaska, Water Resources Research, 57, e2020WR029395.   https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR029395

  • Musselman, Keith N., Nans Addor, Julie A. Vano, and Noah P. Molotch (2021). Winter Melt Trends Portend Widespread Declines in Snow Water Resources. Nature Climate Change 11 (5): 418–24.   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01014-9

  • Pan, Jinmei, M. T. Durand, Z. Courville, B. J. Vander Jagt, N. P. Molotch, S. A. Margulis, E. J. Kim, M. Schneebeli, and C. Mätzler (2021). Evaluation of Stereology for Snow Microstructure Measurement and Microwave Emission Modeling: A Case Study.International Journal of Digital Earth, March, 1–21.   https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2021.1902006

  • Schneider, Dominik, Noah P. Molotch, Jeffrey S. Deems, and Thomas H. Painter (2021). Analysis of Topographic Controls on Depletion Curves Derived from Airborne Lidar Snow Depth Data. Hydrology Research52 (1): 253–65.   https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2020.267

  • Jennings, K.S., T. Winchell, B. Livneh, and N.P. Molotch (2018). Spatial variation of the rain-snow temperature threshold across the Northern Hemisphere. Nature Communications, 9(1), 1148.   doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03629-7

  • Baker, E., T. H. Painter, D. Schneider, A. Meddens, J. A. Hicke, and N. P. Molotch (2017). Quantifying insect-related forest mortality with the remote sensing of snow. Remote Sensing of Environment, 188: 26-36   doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2016.11.001 - 9905

  • Hallar, A.G., N.P. Molotch, J. Hand, B. Livneh, I.B. McCubbin, R. Petersen, J. Michalsky, and D. Lowenthal (2017). Impacts of Increasing Aridity and Wildfires on Aerosol Loading in the Intermountain Western U.S., Environmental Research Letters, 12(1), 014006,   doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa510a

  • Schneider, D., and N. P. Molotch (2016). Real-time estimation of snow water equivalent in the Upper Colorado River Basin using MODIS-based SWE reconstructions and SNOTEL data. Water Resources Research, 52(10): 7892-7910   doi: 10.1002/2016WR019067 - 9916

  • Barnhart, T., N. P. Molotch, B. Livneh, A. Harpold, J. Knowles, and D. Schneider (2016). Snowmelt rate dictates streamflow. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(15): 8006-8016   doi: 10.1002/2016GL069690

  • Livneh, B., J.S. Deems, B. Buma, J.J. Barsugli, D. Schneider, N.P. Molotch, K. Wolter, and C.A. Wessman (2015). Catchment response to bark beetle outbreak and dust-on-snow in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Journal of Hydrology, 523, 196-210   doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.01.039

  • Ralph, F. M., M. Dettinger, A. White, D. Reynolds, D. Cayan, T. Schneider, R. Cifelli, K. Redmond, M. Anderson, F. Gherke, J. Jones, K. Mahoney, S. Gutman, V. Chandresekar, J. Lundquist, N. P. Molotch, L. Brekke, R. Pulwarty, J. Horel, L. Schick, A. Edman, P. Mote, J. Abatzoglou, R. Pierce, and G. Wick (2014). A vision for future observations for Western U.S. extreme precipitation and flooding. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 153(1): 16-32,   doi: 10.1111/j.1936-704X.2014.03176.x - 9915
  • Perrot, D., N. P. Molotch, K. Musselman, and E. Pugh (2014). Modelling the effects of the mountain pine beetle on snowmelt in a subalpine forest. Ecohydrology, 7(2): 226-241,   doi: 10.1002/eco.1329 - 6724

  • Livneh, B., J. S. Deems, D. Schneider, J. J. Barsugli, and N. P. Molotch (2014). Filling in the gaps: Inferring spatially distributed precipitation from gauge observations over complex terrain. Water Resources Research, 50 (11) 8589-8610   doi: 10.1002/2014WR015442

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