Article

 

Present-day and future contributions of glacier runoff to summertime flows in a Pacific Northwest watershed: Implications for water resources Público Deposited

Conteúdo disponível para baixar

Baixar PDF
https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/z603r333r

Descriptions

Attribute NameValues
Creator
Abstract
  • While the impacts of long-term climate change trends on glacier hydrology have received much attention, little has been done to quantify direct glacier runoff contributions to streamflow. This paper presents an approach for determining glacier runoff contributions to streamflow and estimating the effects of increased temperature and decreased glacier area on future runoff. We focus on late summer streamflow (when flow is lowest and nonglacier contributions to flow are minimal) of a small glacierized watershed on the flanks of Mount Hood, Oregon, United States. Field and lab measurements and satellite imagery were used in conjunction with a temperature-index model of glacier runoff to simulate potential effects of increased temperature and reduction in glacier area on late summer runoff in the watershed. Discharge and stable isotope data show that 41–73% of late summer streamflow is presently derived directly from glacier melt. Model simulations indicate that while increased temperature leads to rapid glacier melt and therefore increased streamflow, the consequences of glacier recession overcomes this effect, ultimately leading to substantial declines in streamflow. Model sensitivity analyses show that simulation results are most sensitive to degree day factor and less sensitive to uncertainties in debris-covered area and accumulation area ratio. This case study demonstrates that the effects of glacier recession on streamflow are a concern for water resource management at the local scale. This approach could also be extended to larger scales such as the upper Columbia River basin where glacier contributions to late summer flows are also thought to be substantial.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Available
Date Issued
Citation
  • Nolin, A. W., J. Phillippe, A. Jefferson, and S. L. Lewis (2010), Present-day and future contributions of glacier runoff to summertime flows in a Pacific Northwest watershed: Implications for water resources, Water Resources Research, 46, W12509, doi:10.1029/2009WR008968.
Journal Title
Journal Volume
  • 46
Journal Issue/Number
  • 12
Academic Affiliation
Declaração de direitos
Funding Statement (additional comments about funding)
  • This work was supported by funding from Oregon State University’s Institute for Water and Watersheds through a USGS minigrant, the Geological Society of America, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, the Association of American Geographers, and the Mazamas Mountaineering Organization.
Publisher
Peer Reviewed
Language
Replaces

Relações

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Itens