The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents named Dr. Rina Schumer as one of the 2011 Rising Researchers, in recognition of her early-career accomplishments and potential for future advancement. A faculty member in DHS, her current research at DRI is focused on the science of scaling and the mathematical modeling of earth systems.

Schumer says, “Issues of scale pervade and confound studies of particles moving through the Earth, over the Earth surface, and in the atmosphere.” It is difficult to make models that account for the extremely complex interactions found in nature at all scales, but Schumer enjoys that challenge.

One of the areas Schumer is interested in is making predictions of how streams and rivers change through time by modeling the dynamics of stream systems. This includes things such as examining how pollution and sediments are transported in streams and rivers; how they are deposited, or accumulate, or erode within the system; and the recurrence of extreme events, such as floods. Data are collected in the field to test predictions generated by mathematical models to see how well the models can capture the actual field conditions.

When confronted with differences in field data and model predictions, scientists go back to the model that generated their hypotheses to examine what assumptions were made and what parameters were used in the model. Many times, it is suggested that the parameters used in the model are wrong, and that those should be changed to account for the differences in scale between laboratory and theoretical models and natural systems. Schumer says, “A new school of thought suggests that it’s not the model parameters that are scale-dependent, it’s that we are choosing the wrong models. The mathematical models I work with specifically include treatment of variation in [and] over many time and space scales. Using these models helps us refine our understanding of underlying physical processes. I am also trying to understand how we can accurately measure effects of external change, whether from climate or humans, on the systems we model.”

Schumer became interested in applying mathematical models to groundwater contaminant transport during her Ph.D. research at the University of Nevada, Reno. She and her collaborators have found that the models can help us understand many environmental systems. While much of her research is concerned with creating and testing mathematical models, she has done work on flood frequency for ephemeral streams, a study that uses long-term rain and snow data along the Mt. Rose Highway (NV 431) to study changes in form and timing of precipitation related to a changing climate. If there is more rain and less snow, as climate changes and gets warmer, her studies help make predictions as to what would happen as these streams receive more rain, and how this would affect flooding events. Another project Schumer has been involved in is examining the water balance on the Truckee River in a project for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Schumer says one of her goals as a new DRI faculty member is to secure funding “to work on interesting scientific questions”—making accurate scientific models that work in the real world, Schumer’s work helps prepare planners for what happens when earth systems change.