The importance of warm season warming to western U.S. streamflow changes
Geophysical Research Letters
By: T. Das, D.W. Pierce, D.R. Cayan, J.A. Vano, and D.P. Lettenmaier
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Warm season climate warming will be a key driver of annual streamflow changes in four major river basins of the western U.S., as shown by hydrological model simulations using fixed precipitation and idealized seasonal temperature changes based on climate projections with SRES A2 forcing. Warm season (April-September) warming reduces streamflow throughout the year; streamflow declines both immediately and in the subsequent cool season. Cool season (October-March) warming, by contrast, increases streamflow immediately, partially compensating for streamflow reductions during the subsequent warm season. A uniform warm season warming of 3C drives a wide range of annual flow declines across the basins: 13.3%, 7.2%, 1.8%, and 3.6% in the Colorado, Columbia, Northern and Southern Sierra basins, respectively. The same warming applied during the cool season gives annual declines of only 3.5%, 1.7%, 2.1%, and 3.1%, respectively. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.
Suggested Citation
Das, T., Pierce, D., Cayan, D., Vano, J., Lettenmaier, D., 2011, The importance of warm season warming to western U.S. streamflow changes: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 38, no. 23, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL049660.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | The importance of warm season warming to western U.S. streamflow changes |
| Series title | Geophysical Research Letters |
| DOI | 10.1029/2011GL049660 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 23 |
| Publication Date | December 15, 2011 |
| Year Published | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Geophysical Research Letters |