Publish Date

Research Projects

Out of the Forest and Into the Concrete Jungle

Funding Source

  • UIS Internal Funding (Blount Startup, Scholarly Presentation Support Program)

Methods & Key Findings

A group of early career hydrologists led a collaborative effort beginning during the 2024 Water Science Conference in Saint Paul, Minnesota, co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union and the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc. (CUAHSI). The team convened a series of events entitled "Out of the Forest and Into the Concrete Jungle: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovations for Urban Hydrology Research," which included two oral presentation sessions, one poster session, and a workshop where participants shared perspectives on key questions and future research priorities for urban hydrology.

The collaborative effort culminated in an invited manuscript to be submitted to the CUAHSI-affiliated journal Water Resources Research. The synthesis manuscript aims to assess the current state-of-knowledge for urban hydrology and share perspectives for future research priorities. Sessions were well-attended with approximately 100 attendees at the workshop session and 50-100 for presentation sessions

Collaborators or Student Involvement

  • Project Leadership: K. Blount (UIS); Jeannie Wilkening (University of Minnesota,Twin Cities), Aurora Kagawa-Viviani (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa), Sarah, Ledford (Georgia State University
  • Other Collaborators: C. Gerlein-Safdi, P. Seibert, and A. Cao (University of California, Berkeley); X. Feng and X. Chen (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities); S. Fathel (Susquehanna University); K. Kaiser (University of Idaho); C. Oswald (Toronto Metropolitan University); A. Parolari (Marquette University); V. Rexausen (University of Tennessee, Knoxville); C. Ross (University of Toronto, Scarborough); A. Willis (Michigan State University

Relevant Publications

  • Blount, K. et al. (15 co-authors). Out of the forest and into the concrete jungle challenges, opportunities, and innovations in urban hydrology research. In revision, Water Resources Research

Urban Microclimates: Heat and Water Movement in Cities

Funding Source

  • NSF CAREER Grant (PI: Moffett, WSU
  • NSF EMBRACE Grant; UIS Competitive Scholarly Research Grant; UIS Scholarly Presentation Support Program (PI: Blount)

Methods & Key Findings

This project investigates how cities experience microclimates—local pockets of hotter or cooler conditions—dependent on factors such as moisture availability, vegetation type, and land use. Understanding spatial variability in heat and water fluxes across the urban environment is critical for sustainable development decisions related to human health, ecological management, and green infrastructure design.

Research efforts document soil moisture, vegetation condition, and meteorological variables across an urban landscape transect in Springfield, Illinois. The spatial variability in hydroclimatic observations is investigated to prioritize green space management to promote human, ecological, and hydrological health.

Collaborators or Student Involvement

  • Collaborators: K. Moffett (Washington State University Vancouver), G. Pignotti (Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin)
  • Student Researchers: Praise Idowu and Karmyn Flesch (UIS Undergraduate Students); Anwar Azeem (UIS Graduate Student)

Relevant Publications or Conference Presentations

  • Publications:
    1. Blount, K., G. Pignotti, and K. Moffett. Soil moisture availability drives differential water and heat cycling across urban land cover plots. In preparation for submission to TheProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
    2. Kubiniec, K., K. Moffett, and K. Blount (2025). Street-Scale Urban Air Temperatures Predicted by Simple High-Resolution Cover- and Shade-Weighted Surface Temperature Mosaics in a Variety of Residential Neighborhoods. Remote Sensing, 17(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111932.
    3. Blount, K., G. Pignotti, and J. Wolfand (2024). ET Cool Home: Innovative Educational Activities on Evapotranspiration and Urban Heat. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 28, 1525-1526. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1515-2024.
  • Presentations:
    1. Blount, K., P. Idowu, K. Flesch, and A. Azeem. Using microclimate models to understand urban heat and water movement. UIS Faculty Scholarship Series, Springfield, IL, April 17, 2025. Invited presentation.
    2. Blount, K., G. Pignotti, and K. Moffett. Exploring fine-scale urban water cycle intensification and feedbacks with urban heat through field-based observations. AGU Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 13, 2024.
    3. Blount, K., P. Idowu, K. Flesch, and A. Azeem. Evaluating heat and water transport across climate and development patterns in U.S. cities using ENVI-met. AGU Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., December 13, 2024.
    4. Idowu, P. and K. Blount. Sensitivity Analysis of ENVI-met Applications for Understanding Urban Heat and Water Transfer. UIS Student Technology, Arts, & Research Symposium (STARS), Springfield, IL, April 12, 2024.
    5. Flesch, K., A. Azeem, and K. Blount. Understanding Changes to Heat and Water Transfer in Cities Associated with Increased Residential Density Using the ENVI-met Model. UIS Student Technology, Arts, & Research Symposium (STARS), Springfield, IL, April 12, 2024.
    6. Blount, K., G. Pignotti, and K. Moffett. Urban microclimate interactions: Land cover heterogeneity affects near-surface heat and water dynamics. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 13, 2023.
    7. Blount, K. Evaluating the Impacts of Urban Configuration on Heat and Water Transfer using ENVI-met Microclimate Simulations. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 12, 2023.

Irrigation in Cities: Urban form, water limitations, and the ecohydrological function of urban landscapes

Funding Source

  • NSF EMBRACE Grant (PI: Blount)

Methods & Key Findings

This project explores the connections between human water use for irrigation, urban form, and ecohydrological function. Cities use substantial freshwater resources to maintain green spaces, impacting local, regional, and global water sustainability. This research proposes that water limitations in cities may be driven in part by urban form, defined by the three-dimensional geometry, composition, and spatial structure of impervious and pervious surfaces across urban environments.

The project quantifies the relationships between outdoor water use (for irrigation and other purposes), urban form, parcel-scale characteristics, and ecohydrological function. Research efforts document outdoor residential water use alongside hydrological observations including irrigation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and runoff. Understanding these connections can inform infrastructure design to promote water sustainability through water conservation, pollution mitigation, and ecosystem health.

Collaborators or Student Involvement

  • Future implementation of the project will include hiring an M.S. student, a postdoc, and potentially undergraduate researchers.
  • Collaborators: Springfield City Water, Light & Power (CWLP); T. Rothfus (UIS Field Station at Lake Springfield), K. Moffett (Washington State University Vancouver), and K. Spahr (Denver Water)

Relevant Conference Presentations

  • Blount, K. From Plots to Cities: Using Multiple Methods to Improve Our Understanding of Heat-Water Interactions Across Scales in the Built Environment. American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 16, 2025. Highlighted presentation. [forthcoming].
  • Blount, K. Urban water and climate collaborations in Denver, Colorado. Bhaskar Hydrology Research Group Meeting, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, July 7, 2025. Invited presentation.
  • Blount, K. NSF-sponsored urban microclimate field work in Denver, Colorado. Denver Urban Field Science (DUFS) Research Group, Virtual, May 23, 2025. Invited Presentation.

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