scholarly journals Relative impact of anthropogenic modifications versus climate change on the natural flow regimes of rivers in the Northern Rocky Mountains, United States

2010 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia S. Arrigoni ◽  
Mark C. Greenwood ◽  
Johnnie N. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Relative Impact ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
Natural Flow Regimes ◽  
Anthropogenic Modifications

scholarly journals Sensitivity of Regulated Flow Regimes to Climate Change in the Western United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Zhou ◽  
Nathalie Voisin ◽  
Guoyong Leng ◽  
Maoyi Huang ◽  
Ian Kraucunas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Management ◽  
United States ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Regulated River ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Natural Flow

Abstract Water management activities modify water fluxes at the land surface and affect water resources in space and time. Conventional understanding on the role of water management suggests that regulated river flow would be less sensitive to future climate conditions than natural flow in terms of the absolute changes in mean monthly flows. In this study the authors evaluate such an assumption by redefining sensitivity as the difference in the emergence of changes in cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of future regulated and natural flows in response to climate change with respect to their respective historical regulated and natural flow conditions. The emergence of changes (shift in CDFs) in natural and regulated river flow regimes across the western United States from simulations driven by multiple climate models and scenarios were compared. Forty percent of Hydrologic Unit Codes 4 (HUC4s) over the western United States might perceive such a shift in seasonal regulated flow earlier than they would have seen in natural flow conditions, although the absolute change is smaller than that under natural conditions. About 10% of the regulated HUC4s see a delay and are therefore less sensitive to climate change. In the spring (MAM), the overall sensitivity tends to decrease as the level of river regulation increases, as expected. However, in the winter (DJF) and summer (JJA) seasons, the sensitivity tends to increase with increasing levels of regulation, with changes in smaller magnitudes than under natural conditions. The results could inform integrated assessment studies when designing adaptation strategies in the water–energy–food nexus.

scholarly journals The Distribution of Glaciers in the Rocky Mountains of the United States

1977 ◽  
Vol 18 (79) ◽  
pp. 325-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. L. Graf
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
The United States ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Southern Rocky Mountains

AbstractEvidence from aerial photographs, maps, and field checks indicates that 319 glaciers lie in cirques of the Rocky Mountains, south of the United States-Canadian border. On a subcontinental scale, the distribution of glaciers is highly clustered, with larger and denser clusters located in the northern Rocky Mountains. Lesser concentrations of small glaciers occur in the southern Rocky Mountains. The total area of glaciers in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S.A. is 78.9 km2.

scholarly journals How will climate change modify river flow regimes in Europe?

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Schneider ◽  
C. L. R. Laizé ◽  
M. C. Acreman ◽  
M. Flörke
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Boreal Climate

Abstract. Worldwide, flow regimes are being modified by various anthropogenic impacts and climate change induces an additional risk. Rising temperatures, declining snow cover and changing precipitation patterns will interact differently at different locations. Consequently, in distinct climate zones, unequal consequences can be expected in matters of water stress, flood risk, water quality, and food security. In particular, river ecosystems and their vital ecosystem services will be compromised as their species richness and composition have evolved over long time under natural flow conditions. This study aims at evaluating the exclusive impacts of climate change on river flow regimes in Europe. Various flow characteristics are taken into consideration and diverse dynamics are identified for each distinct climate zone in Europe. In order to simulate present-day natural flow regimes and future flow regimes under climate change, the global hydrology model WaterGAP3 is applied. All calculations for current and future conditions (2050s) are carried out on a 5' × 5' European grid. To address uncertainty, bias-corrected climate forcing data of three different global climate models are used to drive WaterGAP3. Finally, the hydrological alterations of different flow characteristics are quantified by the Indicators of Hydrological Alteration approach. Results of our analysis indicate that on the European scale, climate change can be expected to modify flow regimes remarkably. This is especially the case in the Mediterranean (due to drier conditions with reduced precipitation across the year) and in the boreal climate zone (due to reduced snowmelt, increased precipitation, and strong temperature rises). In the temperate climate zone, impacts increase from oceanic to continental. Regarding single flow characteristics, strongest impacts on timing were found for the boreal climate zone. This applies for both high and low flows. Flow magnitudes, in turn, will be predominantly altered in the Mediterranean but also in the Northern climates. At the end of this study, typical future flow regimes under climate change are illustrated for each climate zone.

scholarly journals The influence of natural flow regimes on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a semiarid Mediterranean basin

Ecohydrology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Belmar ◽  
J. Velasco ◽  
C. Gutiérrez-Cánovas ◽  
A. Mellado-Díaz ◽  
A. Millán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Assemblages ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
Natural Flow Regimes

AN OBJECTIVE AND PARSIMONIOUS APPROACH FOR CLASSIFYING NATURAL FLOW REGIMES AT A CONTINENTAL SCALE

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 1166-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Archfield ◽  
J. G. Kennen ◽  
D. M. Carlisle ◽  
D. M. Wolock
Keyword(s):  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
Natural Flow Regimes

Classification of natural flow regimes in Australia to support environmental flow management

2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK J. KENNARD ◽  
BRADLEY J. PUSEY ◽  
JULIAN D. OLDEN ◽  
STEPHEN J. MACKAY ◽  
JANET L. STEIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Flow Management ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
Natural Flow Regimes
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