Research Basins

The network facilitates an active exchange and collaboration between international researchers through a network of highly instrumented mountain catchments to compare instrumentation best practices, suggest improvements in instrumentation, and develop reliable alpine datasets for model testing, numerical experiments, and validating remotely sensed data.  These are testbeds for detailed process studies on mountain hydrology and meteorology, and for observing, understanding, and predicting environmental change.  INARCH began in late-2014 with 14 instrumented sites; there are now 38 research catchments and sites in 18 countries and six continents, with more continuing to join the network:

• Austria 1. Rofental Research Basin;
• Canada 2. Marmot Creek Research Basin; 3. Peyto Glacier; 4. Fortress Mountain Research Basin; 5. Quesnel River Research Basin; 6. Wolf Creek Research Basin;
• Chile 7. Valle Hermoso, Upper Diguillín River Basin; 8. Estero Las Bayas, Upper Maipo River Basin;
• China 9. Nam Co Monitoring and Research Station for Multisphere Interactions; 10. Qomolangma Atmospheric and Environmental Observation and Research Station; 11. Southeast Tibet Observation and Research Station for the Alpine Environment; 12. Upper Heihe River Basin; 13. Yala Shampo Cryosphere Hydro-Ecological Station*; 14. Changdu Ecological Monitoring Station*; 
• France 15. Arve Catchement; 16. Col de Porte Experimental Site; 17. Col du Lac Blanc Experimental Site;
• Germany 18. Schneefernerhaus and Research Catchment;
• Italy 19. Torgnon Basin*;
• Morrocco 20. Rheraya Catchment, High Atlas Mountains*;
• Nepal 21. Langtang Catchment; 22. Hidden Valley, Himalayas* 
• New Zealand 23. Brewster Glacier;
• Norway 24. Finse Alpine Research Centre;
• Peru 25. Salcca-Sibinacocha Catchment*;
• Russia 26. Djankuat Research Basin;
• Spain 27. Izas Experimental Catchment; 28. Guadalfeo Monitoring Network;
• Sweden 29. Tarfala Research Catchment;
• Switzerland 30. Dischma Research Catchment; 31. Weissfluhjoch Snow Study Site;
• Tajikistan 32. Kyzylsu Glacier and Monitoring Sites*;
• United States of America 33. Dry Creek Experimental Watershed; 34. Grand Mesa Study Site; 35. Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed; 36. Senator Beck Basin Study Area; 37. Sagehen Creek, Sierra Nevada; 38. Bridger Range*.

*new sites participating in the Common Observing Period Experiment (COPE)

 

 

  

Kyzlsu Glacier and Monitoring Sites, Tajikistan

   

Rofental High-Alpine Research Basin, Austria

Kuoqionggangri Glacier, China (Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences)