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A Former WRR Editor’s Perspective of a Century of Progress in Hydrologic Sciences

A Former WRR Editor’s Perspective of a Century of Progress in Hydrologic Sciences. Stephen J. (Steve) Burges Professor Emeritus Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Washington 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, Paper H42F-01

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A Former WRR Editor’s Perspective of a Century of Progress in Hydrologic Sciences

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  1. A Former WRR Editor’s Perspective of a Century of Progress in Hydrologic Sciences Stephen J. (Steve) Burges Professor Emeritus Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Washington 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, Paper H42F-01 Session H42F: Recent Advances in the Hydrologic Sciences I, 13 December, Convention Ctr; 146B, 10:25 to 10:35

  2. Time window: 1919 - 2018

  3. Developments in hydrologic science have always been driven by societal needs

  4. Hydrology is concerned with determining the water budget and associated thermal energy budget (evaporation, snow and ice) The working domain (since 2001) is the Critical Zone

  5. The principal issues are (in no particular order): Water storages (solid, liquid) Floods Droughts Water supply Water for food and fiber Potable water Water for ecology Land “use”, and Water as a “change agent”

  6. Some early influences: Post World War I 1919 International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) – Organized, Brussels IUGG assembly – Rome 1922 Section of “Scientific Hydrology” established Became the International Association of Scientific Hydrology - IASH

  7. Where were earlier hydrologic science findings published?

  8. Early Publication Outlets - Partial List - USA: Transactions, ASCE Engineering News Record Monthly Weather Review Science Soil Science Society of America GSA Bulletin Journal of Geology Transactions of AGU - 1931- USGS water supply papers, professional papers, circulars Journal of Geophysical Research - 1959 to 1964

  9. Some early influences: Development of Hydrologic Science Robert E. Horton – “The Field,Scope, and Status of the Science of Hydrology”, Transactions of AGU, pp 189-202, June,1931 First hydrology paper published in Transactions of AGU Recommended reading

  10. Typewriter prepared text

  11. Some early influences: Development of Hydrologic Science Robert E. Horton – 1931 “Both the scope and problems of hydrology are closely related to the various branches of applied hydrology. This is natural since it is mainly in the application that new problems arise and the scope of the science is extended”

  12. Some early influences: • Development of Hydrologic Science - 1930s • – World-wide Economic Depression • Numerous exceptional contributions to science and applications in hydrology • Most were included in the definitive work edited by Meinzer, 1942

  13. “Physics of the Earth – IX, Hydrology”, Edited by Oscar E. Meinzer, McGraw-Hill 1942 (Dover, 1949)

  14. Provides detailed coverage of many of the pre-1940 scientific contributions to hydrology

  15. Extensive coverage of the field of hydrology The contributors were a “who’s who” of the field

  16. Development of Hydrologic Science - 1950s “Catch up” from World War II Five notable publications:

  17. First large-scale test of mass-transfer evaporation theory, 1954

  18. Comprehensive coverage of hydrology and societal issues in water resources 751 Pages

  19. Foundation for any flood research and flood damage mitigation policy 469 pp

  20. Extensive coverage of the field of snow hydrology, 1956

  21. International Association of Scientific Hydrology. Bulletin (1956 - 1971) Volume 1 - 4 issues-113 pages

  22. Volume 1 Issue3 1956 Le Bulletin d'Information de l'AssociationInternationaled'HydrologieScientifique, Pages: 1-13 THE PROBLEM OF LONG-TERM STORAGE IN RESERVOIRS, H. E. Hurst C.M.G., M.A., D.Sc., F.Inst.P., Pages: 13-27 One of the most important papers published

  23. Development of Hydrologic Science - 1960s Scope of the science of hydrology – Ad hoc panel on hydrology, U.S. Federal Council for Science and Technology – Chaired by Walter Langbein - 1962 International hydrologic decade 1965 - 1974 Establishment of new journals including: Journal of Hydrology - 1963 Water Resources Research - 1965

  24. Development of Hydrologic Science - 1960s Era of Technologic development (post Sputnik, 1957) U.S. Space program Third generation of digital computers Space-based observation platforms Planned addition of transistorized electronics to field equipment

  25. Development of Hydrologic Science - 1980s Plans to launch Earth Observing Satellites - EOS - Anticipated data stream 15 Peta bytes per year (15,000 1-tera byte hard drives!) Doppler Radar precipitation measurement – WSR 88 - NexRad These helped form the foundation for another “30 – year on” focus on hydrologic science

  26. “Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences”, National Research Council, p 248, 1991.

  27. Unifying, holistic view of hydrologic sciences “Eagleson” committee report Recommended reading

  28. A frameworkfor much of hydrologic science has been provided by focusing on the “Critical Zone”, first introduced in: “Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science”, National Research Council, p 154, 2001 This built heavily upon “Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences”

  29. 1991 report - “20 yearson” NRC, 2012 Provides examples of the “promising new opportunities to advance hydrologic sciences”

  30. Practical societal needs Identifying and protecting healthy watersheds, US EPA 2012

  31. Some research journal outlets: Journal of Hydrology - 1963 - Water Resources Research - 1965 - Hydrological Sciences Bulletin (1972 - 1981), now Hydrological Sciences Journal - 1982 - Advances in Water Resources - Sept. 1977 - Hydrological Processes - 1986 - Hydrology & Earth System Sciences (HESS) - 1997 - Journal of Hydrometeorology - 2000 - Vadose Zone Journal - Aug. 2002 -

  32. Water Resources Research – brief history

  33. Founding editors: Walter B. Langbein Allen V. Kneese

  34. 17 Associate editors: Leaders of hydrology and water resources policy sciences

  35. Kenneth J. Arrow Winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with John Hicks, 1972 Issue 1 – First Quarter 13 papers – broad subject matter

  36. Issues 1 - 4 56 papers 586 pages 9.5 x 6.5 inches “readable”

  37. Water Resources Research - 1980 – 1984 Steve Burges – Editor for physical sciences Approx. 1,200 papers, comments and replies 27 associate editors for all fields in 1984 All work done using paper,postal service, the first AGU word processor (Digital Equipment Corp. - VT 78),and telephone

  38. Printed page size 11.25 x 8.25 inches – same as today Pages published in 1984: 1931

  39. Synthesis after 20 years: Special issue of WRR – August 1986

  40. Trends and directions in hydrology

  41. 15 integrative, comprehensive, and path-defining papers

  42. The emergence of global-scale Hydrology, P. Eagleson - launching of many careers Looking for Hydrologic Laws, J. Dooge - remains unsolved

  43. WRR at 50 - excellent summary:

  44. 2015 > 15,000 papers published > 430,000 citations

  45. What publications do I value most? Papers and books that provide insights and comprehensive and integrative coverage of subject matter. Thoughtful assessments of productive areas of enquiry. Some examples:

  46. Synthesis and skilled guidance for the future

  47. Perspective on Walter Langbein’s work and scientific leadership

  48. Bulletin American Meteorological Society – Vol. 73, No. 12, December 1992 Perspective on Robert Horton’s work and its modern relevance

  49. Bulletin AMS October, 1999 Detailed scientific agenda for productive research

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