Earth Scientist
Earth Scientist

Biography

Kyongho Son is an Earth scientist in watershed hydrology and is involved in PNNL’s Subsurface Biogeochemistry Research Scientific Focus Area sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Son’s research evaluates the impact of the hyporheic zone process on the spatial and temporal variations in denitrification and respiration across the Columbia River Basin. Also, his research develops an integrated watershed to quantify the change of watershed biogeochemistry followed by the disturbance, including extreme precipitation and wildfire. He has extensive research experience in watershed ecohydrological modeling, model evaluation, uncertainty analysis, remotely sensed data analysis, and sampling design. 

Research Interest

  • Interactions between climate, forest ecosystem, and watershed hydrology 
  • Critical controls on the spatial/temporal variation of hyporheic zone processes 
  • Improving model structure and reductions of predictive uncertainty in hydrologic models
  • Impacts of climate change/land-use change on watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry 
  • Strategic sampling design for collecting the environmental data

Education

  • PhD in Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2015
  • MS in Geography, State University of New York, Buffalo State College, 2008
  • MS in Environmental System Engineering, University of Western Australia, 2006
  • BS in Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, 2003

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • American Geophysical Union

Publications

2020

  • Yang YE, K Son, F Hung, and V Tidwell. 2020. “Impact of climate change on adaptive management decisions in the face of water scarcity.” Journal of Hydrology, p.125015.

2019

  • Contosta AR, NJ Casson, S Garlick, SJ Nelson, MP Ayres, EA Burakowski, J Campbell, I Creed, C Eimers, C Evans, and I Fernandez. 2019. “Northern forest winters have lost cold, snowy conditions that are important for ecosystems and human communities.” Ecological Applications29(7), p.e01974.
  • Son K and C Tague. 2019. “A top-down soil moisture and sap flux sampling design of a rain-snow transition mountain watershed.” Hydrological Processes;10.1002/hyp.13421 
  • Son K, L Lin, L Band, and E Owens. “Modeling integration of climate, forest ecosystem and hydrology to estimate catchment dissolved organic carbon export.” Hydrological Processes;10.1002/hyp.13412 
  • Son K and C Tague. 2018. “Hydrologic responses to climate warming for a snow‐dominated watershed and a transient snow watershed in the California Sierra.” Ecohydrology; https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2053

2016

  • Son K, C Tague, and CT Hunsaker. 2016. “Effects of Model Spatial Resolution on Ecohydrologic Predictions and Their Sensitivity to Inter-Annual Climate Variability.” Water, 8, 321; doi:10.3390/w8080321 
  • Son K and M Sivapalan. 2007. “Improving model structure and reducing parameter uncertainty in conceptual water balance models through the use of auxiliary data.” Water Resources Research, VOL. 43, W01415, doi: 10.1029/2006WR005032, 2007.