Hydrologist Laurie Huning on extreme climate and protecting California's water supply

Few issues shape California's future more than water. Drought, floods and rising temperatures are pushing the state's water systems to their limits. At Cal State Long Beach, hydrologist Laurie Huning studies how climate extremes affect snowpack and water availability - research aimed at helping water managers keep reservoirs balanced, communities safe and water flowing.

An associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management, Huning leads a team of Beach students who analyze water-cycle data across the western United States. Their research explores how heat waves, snow droughts and "climate whiplash" - that is, rapid swings between wet and dry conditions - affect water supplies.

We spoke with Huning about her latest research and how College of Engineeringstudents are helping investigate climate extremes.

Q: What is the simplest way to describe what you study and why it matters?

Laurie Huning: My work focuses primarily on trying to better characterize the water cycle, where water is stored and when it becomes available - all in the context of extreme events: droughts, floods, heat waves. Some of the key questions we're trying to understand are where and how much water is stored in our natural reservoirs and how much water we can expect to be released from snowpack during the melt season. How do climate extremes impact the amount of water that we have available, how are conditions changing, and how do we respond?

Q: What is the most urgent question you're working on right now?

LH: That's a tough one, but if I had to choosen one, then it would be related to heat waves. When people think about heat waves, they're generally thinking about midsummer sweltering temperatures, but our projects are looking at winter or spring heat waves in the presence of snow. Heat waves that result in measurable snow losses. If the snowmelt is earlier in the season, then reservoir operators need to make the decision: Are we capturing this now or are there going to be more storms coming that we could capture runoff later in the season?

Q: When I think about water reservoirs, my mind goes to drinking water. But remind us: How else is that water used?

LH: Certainly,drinking water. . . Agricultural irrigation is another major use. Water also is used for cooling systems and things like that. These days, data centers are a large water use, as well. So, it's municipal, it's industrial, it's agricultural. It's even things that you might not think about right away. Tourism, recreation - there are so many socio-economic ties to water.

Q: You hire and mentor a lot of Beach students. What are they working on now?

LH: Students are investigating a number of different water challenges. Together, we aim to better understand changes in the water cycle and extreme events to inform water management, aid environmental hazard mitigation efforts and develop more sustainable water practices. So, the research that my students are conducting typically involves data analysis and modeling. We use a lot of different tools and data sets collected in the field, or from satellite remote sensing.

Q: Has student research ever informed or changed your work?

LH: For me, it's been more about the background of my students that has informed my work and shaped my research. I'm proud to say that my students come from a wide variety of degree programs on our campus: civil engineering, obviously, but also computer science, statistics, applied math, geography, geology, earth science. It's allowed me and my research team to gain exposure to new ideas and concepts and apply them to water problems. It's helped us open our eyes to new methods and push my field forward in exciting new ways that I might not have otherwise considered.

What kinds of careers do students who study hydrology and water systems go into?

LH: There are many opportunities for students pursuing careers in these areas, both in research and in industry. Students studying hydrological and water resources systems obtain skills in hydrological analysis and modeling, computer programming, data analysis and remote sensing. They might choose to work as a water resources engineer or civil or environmental engineer, a hydrologist or hydrogeologist, an environmental consultant or an environmental scientist.