Future changes in snowmelt-driven runoff timing over the western US

被引:134
作者
Rauscher, Sara A. [1 ]
Pal, Jeremy S. [2 ]
Diffenbaugh, Noah S. [3 ,4 ]
Benedetti, Michael M. [5 ]
机构
[1] Abdus Salam Int Ctr Theoret Phys, Earth Syst Phys Sect, I-34014 Trieste, Italy
[2] Loyola Marymount Univ, Dept Civil Engn & Environm Sci, Seaver Coll Sci & Engn, Los Angeles, CA 90045 USA
[3] Purdue Univ, Purdue Climate Change Res Ctr, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
[4] Purdue Univ, Dept Earth & Atmospher Sci, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
[5] Univ N Carolina, Dept Geog & Geol, Wilmington, NC 28403 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1029/2008GL034424
中图分类号
P [天文学、地球科学];
学科分类号
07 ;
摘要
We use a high-resolution nested climate model to investigate future changes in snowmelt-driven runoff (SDR) over the western US. Comparison of modeled and observed daily runoff data reveals that the regional model captures the present-day timing and trends of SDR. Results from an A2 scenario simulation indicate that increases in seasonal temperature of approximately 3 degrees to 5 degrees C resulting from increasing greenhouse gas concentrations could cause SDR to occur as much as two months earlier than present. These large changes result from an amplified snow-albedo feedback driven by the topographic complexity of the region, which is more accurately resolved in a high-resolution nested climate model. Earlier SDR could affect water storage in reservoirs and hydroelectric generation, with serious consequences for land use, agriculture, and water management in the American West.
引用
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页数:5
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