Noah P. Molotch

Noah P. Molotch is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder, leading the Mountain Hydrology Group and affiliated with the Cryosphere and Surface Processes Lab and Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research program. His work integrates ground observations, remote sensing, and computational modeling to advance understanding of mountain hydrology, water resources, and ecohydrology in changing climates.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Hydrology and Water Resources from the University of Arizona (2004)
• MS in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2000)
• BA from the University of Colorado Boulder (1997)

Molotch's research focuses on snow hydrology, ecohydrology, and remote sensing with emphasis on snowmelt distribution, soil moisture dynamics, and streamflow generation. He investigates how climate change alters snowpack characteristics and hydrological partitioning, affecting forest productivity and carbon cycling in montane ecosystems. His work spans from the Colorado Front Range to Chilean Andes, addressing critical water security challenges through field studies and satellite data integration.

Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal three dominant research thrusts: (1) Advanced snow water equivalent estimation using machine learning and airborne remote sensing, (2) Climate impacts on snowmelt timing and hydrological partitioning across mountain systems, and (3) Ecohydrological feedbacks between snow dynamics and vegetation productivity. These studies increasingly incorporate drone-based multispectral imaging and cross-scale data fusion to resolve spatial heterogeneity in alpine environments.

Molotch mentors PhD students Millie Spencer and Emma Tyrrell, with Spencer documenting glacier retreat in Chile through CUAHSI-funded research. His group has secured significant grants from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for developing operational snowpack datasets, while collaborating with NASA, NOAA, and water management agencies on real-time monitoring systems. Community engagement includes art-science collaborations like the Colorado Arts Science Environment Program to communicate climate impacts.

The Mountain Hydrology Group operates cutting-edge facilities including the Cryosphere and Surface Processes Lab and contributes to the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research site. They deploy airborne lidar, drone-based thermal imaging, and wireless sensor networks to map snow properties at unprecedented resolutions, directly informing water resource management during drought and flood events across the Western U.S.