Noah Molotch
Assistant Professor; Geography; University of Colorado, Boulder
CU-Boulder - University of Colorado at Boulder
Molotch's CU-Boulder page
Research Scientist; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Molotch's page
Director of CWEST (Center for Water, Earth Science, and Technology)
Molotch's page
Ph.D. , University of Arizona, 2004
Research interests include surface water and snow hydrology, remote sensing, and ecohydrology, specifically focusing on the processes controlling hydrologic fluxes in cold regions and within the greater Earth system. Current projects utilize ground-based observations, remote sensing, and computational modeling to obtain comprehensive understanding of hydrological processes. In addition I study water, carbon, and nitrogen fluxes and the feedbacks between water availability and carbon cycling in montane forests.
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CZO Publications
Papers/Books
2018
Reevaluating growing season length controls on net ecosystem production in evergreen conifer forests. Barnard, D.M., Knowles, J.F., Barnard, H.R., Goulden, M.L., Hu, J., Litvak, M.E., Molotch, N.P. (2018): Scientific Reports 8(1): 17973 Cross-CZO
2018
Snowmelt‐driven trade‐offs between early and late season productivity negatively impact forest carbon uptake during drought. Knowles J.F., Molotch N.P., Trujillo E. & Litvak M.E. (2018): Geophysical Research Letters 45: 3087–3096 Cross-CZO
2018
On the use of a snow aridity index to predict remotely sensed forest productivity in the presence of bark beetle disturbance . Knowles, JK, L. Lestak, N.P. Molotch (2018): Water Resources Research, 53: 4891-4906
2017
Topoclimate effects on growing season length and montane conifer growth in complex terrain . Barnard, DM, Barnard, HR, and Molotch, NP (2017): Environmental Research Letters 12
2017
Sources of streamflow along a headwater catchment elevational gradient. Cowie, R. M., Knowlesa, J. F., Daileya, K. R., Williamsa, M. W., Millsa, T. J., Molotch, N. P. (2017): Journal of Hydrology Volume 549, June 2017, Pages 163–178
2017
Large near-term projected snowpack loss over the western United States. Fyfe, J.C., C. Derksen, L. Mudryk, N.C. Swart, N.P. Molotch, G.M. Flato, X. Zhang, H. Wan, V.K. Arora, J. Scinocca, Y. Jiao (2017): Nature Communications, Vol. 8, article: 14996,
2017
Impacts of increasing aridity and wildfires on aerosol loading in the intermountain western US. Hallar, A.G., N.P. Molotch, J. Hand, L.R. Lestak, I.B. McCubbin, B. Livneh, R. Petersen, J. Michalsky, D. Lowenthal (2017): Environmental Research Letters, 12(1): article 014006
2016 (In Review)
Snowmelt Rate Dictates Streamflow . Barnhart, T.B., Molotch, N.P., Harpold, A., Knowles, J., Livneh, B., and Schneider, D., (2016): Geophysical Research Letters.
2015
Quantifying the effects of vegetation structure on snow accumulation and ablation in mixed-conifer forests. Broxton P. D., Harpold A. A., Biederman J. A., Troch P. A., Molotch N. P., and Brooks P. D. (2015): Ecohydrology 8(6): 1073-1094 Cross-CZO
2015
Soil moisture response to snowmelt timing in mixed-conifer subalpine forests. Harpold A. A., Molotch N. P., Musselman K. N., Bales R. C., Kirchner P. B., Litvak M. and Brooks P. D. (2015): Hydrological Processes 29(12): 2782–2798 Cross-CZO
2015
Laser vision: lidar as a transformative tool to advance critical zone science. Harpold, A. A., Marshall, J. A., Lyon, S. W., Barnhart, T. B., Fisher, B. A., Donovan, M., Brubaker, K. M., Crosby, C. J., Glenn, N. F., Glennie, C. L., Kirchner, P. B., Lam, N., Mankoff, K. D., McCreight, J. L., Molotch, N. P., Musselman, K. N., Pelletier, J., Russo, T., Sangireddy, H., Sjöberg, Y., Swetnam, T., and West, N. (2015): Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2881-2897 Cross-CZO National
2015
Sensitivity of Soil Water Availability to Changing Snowmelt Timing in the Western US . Harpold, A.A., and Molotch N.P. (2015): Geophysical Research Letters. 42. National
2014
Snow temperature changes within a seasonal snowpack and their relationship to turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat. Burns, S.P., P.D. Blanken, M.W. Williams, N.P. Molotch, B. Seok, J.K. Knowles, R.K. Monson, A.A. Turnipseed (2014): Journal of Hydrometeorology, 15, 117-142
2014
LiDAR-derived snowpack data sets from mixed conifer forests across the Western United States. Harpold, A.A., Q. Guo, N. Molotch, P. D. Brooks, R. Bales, J.C. Fernandez-Diaz, K.N. Musselman, and T.L. Swetnam, P. Kirchner, M. Meadows, J. Flanagan, R. Lucas (2014): Water Resources Research 50(3): 2749-2755 Cross-CZO
2014
LiDAR measurement of seasonal snow accumulation along an elevation gradient in the southern Sierra Nevada, California. Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C., Molotch, N.P., Flanagan, J., Guo, Q (2014): Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 18: 4261-4275 Cross-CZO
2014
Filling in the gaps: Inferring spatially distributed precipitation from gauge observations over complex terrain. Livneh, B., J. S. Deems, D. Schneider, J. Barsugli, and N. Molotch (2014): Water Resour. Res., 50, 8589–8610
2014
Snow cover depletion curves and snow water equivalent reconstruction: six decades of hydrologic remote sensing applications . Molotch, N.P., Durand, M.T., Guan, B., Margulis, S.A., and Davis, R.E. (2014): In Lakshmi, Venkataraman, ed., AGU Monograph on Remote Sensing of the Terrestrial Water Cycle, American Geophysical Union, p. 159-174, ISBN 978-1-118-87203-1
2014
Relationships between stream nitrate concentration and spatially distributed snowmelt in high-elevation catchments of the western US. Perrot, D., N. P. Molotch, M. W. Williams, S. M. Jepsen, and J. O. Sickman (2014): Water Resour. Res., 50, 8694–8713
2014
Snowpack regimes of the Western United States. Trujillo, E., and N. P. Molotch (2014): Water Resour. Res., 50, 5611–5623
2012
Interannual variability of snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, USA: Examples from two alpine watersheds. Jepsen, S.M., N. P. Molotch, M.W. Williams, K.E. Rittger, J.O. Sickman (2012): Water Resources Research 48 (2) Cross-CZO
2012
Influence of canopy structure and direct beam solar irradiance on snowmelt rates in a mixed conifer forest. Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P., Margulis, S.A., Kirchner, P.B., and Bales, R.C. (2012): Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 161: 46-56.
2012
Improved snowmelt simulations with a canopy model forced with photo-derived direct beam canopy transmissivity. Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P., Margulis, S.A., Lehning, M., Gustafsson, D. (2012): Water Resources Research, Vol. 48, No. 10, W10509
2012
Elevation-dependent influence of snow accumulation on forest greening. Trujillo, E., Molotch, N.P., Goulden, M.L., Kelly, A.E., Bales, R.C. (2012): Nature Geoscience 5, 705-709
2010
Estimating snow sublimation using natural chemical and isotopic tracers across a gradient of solar radiation. Gustafson J.R., Brooks P.D., Molotch N.P., and Veatch W.C. (2010): Water Resources Research 46: W12511 Cross-CZO
2009
Ecohydrological controls on snowmelt partitioning in mixed-conifer sub-alpine forests. Molotch N.P., Brooks P.D., Burns S.P., Litvak M., Monson R.K., McConnell J.R., and Musselman K. (2009): Ecohydrology 2(2): 129-142 Cross-CZO
2009
Quantifying the effects of forest canopy cover on net snow accumulation at a continental, mid-latitude site. Veatch W., Brooks P.D., Gustafson J.R., and Molotch N.P. (2009): Ecohydrology 2(2): 115-128 Cross-CZO
Papers and books that explicitly acknowledge a CZO grant are highlighted in PALE ORANGE.
Other CZO Publications
2019
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Annual report 2019 . Anderson, S.P., Anderson, R.S., Molotch, N.P., Rajaram, H., Tucker, G.E. (2019): NSF Award #1331828
2018
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Annual report 2018. Anderson, S.P., Anderson, R.S., Molotch, N.P., Rajaram, H., Tucker, G.E. (2018): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2017
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Annual report 2017. Anderson, S. (2017): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2016
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BcCZO-II) Annual report 2016. Anderson, S. (2016): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2016
Bidirectional Response of Runoff to Changes in Snowmelt Rate, Timing, and Amount. Barnhart, T.B.; Molotch, N.P.; Tague, C. (2016): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2016. Abstract H51N-05.
2016
Catchment-scale snow depth monitoring with balloon photogrammetry. Li, D.; Wigmore, O.; Vanderjagt, B.J.; Durand, M.T.; Molotch, N.P.; Bales, R.C. (2016): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2016. Abstract C51C-0669.
2015
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BcCZO-II) Annual report 2015. Anderson, S. (2015): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2015
Variation in Montane Forest Transpiration Dormancy and Seasonality Along an Elevation Gradient. Barnard, D., Barnard, H., and Molotch, N. (2015): H21C-1390 Ecohydrology in the Critical Zone I Posters, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 14-18 Dec.
2015
Rapid Snowmelt Leads to Greater Streamflow Across the Western United States. Barnhart, T. B., B. Livneh, N.P. Molotch, J. F. Knowles, A. A. Harpold and D. Schneider (2015): C41F-02 Modeling Snow and Streamflow for Water Supply Forecasts from Mountain Basins in a Rapidly Changing Climate II, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 14-18 Dec.
2015
Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics. Barnhart, T.B., Molotch, N.P., Harpold, A., Knowles, J., Livneh, B., and Schneider, D. (2015): University of Colorado Hydrologic Sciences Symposium: Water in Motion: The role of an irreplaceable resource, University of Colorado, Boulder, April 2-3. Cross-CZO
2015
Sensitivity of hydrologic partitioning to snowpack dynamics. Barnhart, T.B., Molotch, N.P., Harpold, A., Livneh, B., Knowles, J., and Anderson, S. (2015): Water Sustainability and Climate Principal Investigator Meeting at the National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA, February 9-11. Cross-CZO
2015
Sensitivity of Hydrologic Partitioning to Snowpack Dynamics . Barnhart, T.B., Molotch, N.P., Livneh, B., Harpold, A.A., Knowles, J.F., Anderson, S.P., Bales, R.C., and Hunsaker, C.T. (2015): Poster, presented at the Western Snow Conference, Grass Valley, CA, April 20-23. Cross-CZO
2015
Sensitivity of Soil Water Availability to Changing Snowmelt Timing in the Western US . Harpold, A.A., and Molotch N.P. (2015): Geophysical Research Letters. 42. National
2015
Snowmelt as a driver of ecosystem response in water limited mountain forests of the Western US. Molotch, N., Trujillo, E. (2015): H12B-01 Advances in Ecohydrology of Water-Stressed Environments I, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 15-19 Dec.
2015
Early snowmelt decreases ablation period carbon uptake in a high elevation, subalpine forest, Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA. Winchell, T., Molotch, N., and Barnard, D. (2015): H31H-1525 The Hydrology–Vegetation–Climate Nexus: Identifying Process Interactions and Environmental Shifts in Mountain Catchments I Posters, presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 14-18 Dec.
2014
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BcCZO-II) Annual report 2014. Anderson, S. (2014): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2014
Sensitivity of hydrologic partitioning to snowpack dynamics, Como Creek, CO. Barnhart, T.B., Molotch N.P., Harpold A.A., Knowles J.F., and Anderson S.P. (2014): Abstract T4I, poster, CZO All Hands Meeting, Fish Camp, Calif., 22-24 Sept.
2014
Sensitivity of hydrologic partitioning to snowpack dynamics, Como Creek, CO, . Barnhart, T.B., Molotch N.P., Harpold A.A., Knowles J.F., and Anderson S.P. (2014): Abstract H51D-0643, poster, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., 15-19 Dec.
2014
The Role of Dynamic Storage in the Response to Snowmelt Conditions in the Southwestern United States: Flux Hysteresis at the Catchment Scale. Driscoll J., Meixner T., Ferré T., Williams M., Sickman J., Molotch N., Jepsen S. (2014): Abstract H51O-0825 presented at 2014 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 15-19 Dec. Cross-CZO
2014
Snowmelt sensitivity to warmer temperatures: a field-validated model analysis, southern Sierra Nevada, California. Musselman, K.; N. Molotch; S. Margulis (2014): American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2014, abstract #C43A-0365
2013
Boulder Creek CZO II: Evolution, Form, Function, and Future of the Critical Zone. Anderson, R., Anderson, S., Molotch, N., Rajaram, H., Tucker, G. (2013): Submitted to NSF Solicitation NSF 12-575
2013
The strength of strategically placed in situ networks: The Critical Zone Observatory Program (Invited). Bales R.C., Brooks P.D., Molotch N.P. (2013): Abstract H53L-02 presented at 2013 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA, 9-13 Dec. Cross-CZO
2013
Role of storage on hydrologic and chemical flux in soil-limited alpine catchments in the Southwestern USA. Driscoll J.M., Meixner T., Steven J., Molotch N., Williams M.W., Sickman J.O. (2013): Abstract presented at AGU Chapman Conference on Soil-mediated Drivers of Coupled Biogeochemical and Hydrological Processes Across Scales, Biosphere 2, Tucson, Arizona, 21-24 October 2013 (Talk) Cross-CZO
2012
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Annual report 2012. Anderson, S. (2012): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2012
Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: 2011-2012 Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Bales, R. (2012): NSF Award 0725097
2012
Insects, Fires, and Climate Change: Implications for Snow Cover, Water Resources and Ecosystem Recovery in Western North America . Brooks P.D., Harpold A.A., Biederman J.A., Litvak M.E., Broxton P.D., Gochis D., Molotch N.P., Troch P.A., Ewers B.E. (2012): Abstract B21I-02 presented at 2012 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Dec (Talk). Cross-CZO
2012
Hydrologic response to modeled snowmelt input in alpine catchments in the Southwestern United States . Driscoll J.M., Molotch N.P., Jepsen S.M., Meixner T., Williams M.W., Sickman J.O. (2012): Abstract H51B-1336 presented at 2012 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Dec (Poster). Cross-CZO
2012
Under-canopy snow accumulation and ablation measured with airborne scanning LiDAR altimetry and in-situ instrumental measurements, southern Sierra Nevada, California. Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C., Musselman, K.N., and Molotch, N.P. (2012): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2012. Abstract C14B-08.
2012
Elevation-dependent controls on snowmelt partitioning and vegetation response inferred from satellite observations (Invited). Molotch, N.P., Guan, B., and Trujillo, E. (2012): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2012. Abstract H21B-1179.
2012
Effects of forest structure on snow accumulation and melt derived from ecohydrological instrument clusters across the Western US (Invited). Molotch, N.P., Musselman, K.N., Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C., and Brooks, P.D. (2012): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2012. Abstract C33D-0684. Cross-CZO
2012
Seasonal and inter-annual snowmelt patterns in the southern Sierra Nevada, California (Invited). Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P. and Margulis, S.A. (2012): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2012. Abstract C32B-04.
2012
Integration of airborne LiDAR data and voxel-based ray tracing to determine high-resolution solar radiation dynamics at the forest floor: implications for improving stand-scale distributed snowmelt models. Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P., and Margulis, S.A. (2012): Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2010. Abstract C14B-05.
2011
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Annual Report 2011 . Anderson, S. (2011): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder
2011
Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: 2010-2011 Annual Report to National Science Foundation . Bales, R. (2011): NSF Award 0725097
2011
Mountain front precipitation accumulation over a 3300m elevation gradient from scanning LiDAR? snow depth and in-situ instrumental measurements, southern Sierra Nevada, California. Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C. Flanagan, J., Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P. (2011): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2011, Room 3011, 2:10 PM - 2:25 PM. Abstract C23F-03.
2011
Inter-annual snow accumulation and melt patterns in a sub-alpine mixed conifer forest: results from a distributed physically based snow model. Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P., Margulis, S.A., Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C. (2011): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2011, Halls A-C, 1:40 PM. Abstract C33D-0671.
2011
Non-linear feedbacks between climate change, hydrologic partitioning, plant available water, and carbon cycling in montane forests . P.D. Brooks, M.E. Litvak, A.A. Harpold, N.P. Molotch, J.C. McIntosh, P.A. Troch, X. Zapata (2011): AGU Fall Meeting Presentations (Invited) Abstract GC34A-08. Cross-CZO
2010
Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory Annual Report 2010 . Anderson, S. (2010): Boulder Creek CZO, University of Colorado Boulder Cross-CZO
2010
Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: 2009-2010 Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Bales, R. (2010): NSF Award 0725097
2010
Estimating under-canopy ablation in a subalpine red-fir forest, southern Sierra Nevada, California . Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C., Rice, R., Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P. (2010): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2010. Abstract C33E-0594.
2010
Ecohydrological response to snowmelt dynamics from plot to regional scales. Molotch, N.P., Musselman, K.N., Trujillo, E., Brooks, P.D., McConnell, J. R., Williams, M.W. (2010): AGU Fall Meeting Abstract C14B-02. Cross-CZO
2010
Simulating plot-scale variability of snowpack states in conifer forests using hemispherical photography and a process based one-dimensional snow model. Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P., Margulis, S.A., Lehning, M., Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C. (2010): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2010. Abstract C33E-0590.
2009
Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: 2008-2009 Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Bales, R. (2009): NSF Award 0725097
2009
Multi-scale observations and modeling of the snowpack in a forested Sierra Nevada catchment. Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C., Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P. (2009): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2009. 90(52). Abstract C23D-08.
2009
A mechanistic approach for estimating snowpack dynamics in a conifer forest . Musselman, K.N., Molotch, N.P., Margulis, S.A., Kirchner, P.B., Bales, R.C. (2009): Fall meeting, American Geophysical Union, December 2009. 90(52). Abstract C23D-07
2008
Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: 2007-2008 Annual Report to National Science Foundation. Bales, R. (2008): NSF Award 0725097
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News
Noah Molotch on KGNU
08 Feb 2018 - The CZO's own Dr. Noah Molotch, director of CWEST, appeared on KGNU during a piece on snow depth and Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL). KGNU is an...
CZNews: Fall 2016
11 Oct 2016 - CZO Newsletter CZNews: Fall 2016
BcCZO at the American Geophysical Union’s 46th annual Fall Meeting!
01 Dec 2013 - Join the BcCZO and more than 22,000 Earth and space scientists, educators, students, and other leaders in San Francisco, California, 9-13 December,...
Post-doctoral researcher Adrian Harpold funded to accomplish cross-CZO science
11 Jan 2013 - Harpold awarded an NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship for a research and education program that spans 3 western Critical Zone Observatories
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Events
CUAHSI Cyberseminar - Noah Molotch on western CZOs
Snowmelt as a Driver of Ecohydrological Processes: Low-hanging Fruit for Cross-CZO Research
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