Our Group at the National Hydrology Research Centre in Saskatoon, SK ~ by Janelle Laing
Members of our group attended a shortcourse focusing on isotope hydrology and biogeohemistry at Environment Canada’s National Hydrology Research Centre in Saskatoon, SK. The shortcourse was led by Jeff McDonnell and included not only him but also Genevieve Ali, Ali Ameli, Jaivime Evaristo, Carol Kendall, Geoff Koehler, Kim Janzen, Scott Jasechko, Cody Millar, and Tricia Stadnyk as instructors. In only four days of lectures and labs, the course reviewed key ways in which the use of isotope tracers in catchment hydrology challenged traditional understandings of rainfall/runoff processes. The course also covered the application of isotopes in hydrograph separation, transit time calculation, model testing and evaluation, groundwater age dating and plant water source identification. We also had the pleasure of learning about the latest technology in stable water isotope analysis and soil and plant water extraction methods while touring the cryogenic vacuum extraction and soil physics labs, led by Kim Janzen and Cody Millar.