Professor Hopkinson is a University of Lethbridge Research Chair and Director of the Institute for Geospatial Inquiry, Instruction & Innovation. His research integrates field, telemetry, lidar, RPAS and satellite image data to evaluate hydro-ecological change across mountain, wetland and forest ecosystems in northern and western Canada. His team is supporting Govt Alberta scientists to develop remote sensing-based snowpack and lake water resource monitoring frameworks.
Sessions in which Dr. Chris Hopkinson participates
Wednesday 30 October, 2024
Reduced snowpack in the Rockies presents a severe drought risk for Southern Alberta. Mountain snowmelt in the Bow and Oldman basins maintains reservoir levels, crop irrigation, municipal and industrial supply, and ecosystem services. As climate and consumption pressures increase, accurate snow water equivalent (SWE) data is crucial for water supply forecasts, which impact allocations and emergency drought measures. Field snowpack monitoring does not provide accu...