Skip to main content
Article
Impacts of climate change on streamflow in the Upper Mississippi River Basin: A regional climate model perspective
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
  • Manoj K. Jha, Iowa State University
  • Zaitao Pan, Iowa State University
  • Eugene S. Takle, Iowa State University
  • Roy R. Gu, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
5-16-2004
DOI
10.1029/2003JD003686
Abstract

Impact of climate change on streamflow in the Upper Mississippi River Basin is evaluated by use of a regional climate model (RCM) coupled with a hydrologic model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The RCM we used resolves, at least partially, some fine-scale dynamical processes that are important contributors to precipitation in this region and that are not well simulated by global models. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated against measured streamflow data using observed weather data and inputs from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) geographic information systems/database system. Combined performance of SWAT and RCM was examined using observed weather data as lateral boundary conditions in the RCM. The SWAT and RCM performed well, especially on an annual basis. Potential impacts of climate change on water yield and other hydrologic budget components were then quantified by driving SWAT with current and future scenario climates. Twenty-one percent increase in future precipitation simulated by the RCM produced 18% increase in snowfall, 51% increase in surface runoff, and 43% increase in groundwater recharge, resulting in 50% net increase in total water yield in the Upper Mississippi River Basin on an annual basis. Uncertainty analysis showed that the simulated change in streamflow substantially exceeded model biases of the combined modeling system (with largest bias of 18%). While this does not necessarily give us high confidence in the actual climate change that will occur, it does demonstrate that the climate change “signal” stands out from the climate modeling (global plus regional) and impact assessment modeling (SWAT) “noise.”

Comments

This article was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 109 (2004): D09105, doi:10.1029/2003JD003686. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
American Geophysical Union
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Manoj K. Jha, Zaitao Pan, Eugene S. Takle and Roy R. Gu. "Impacts of climate change on streamflow in the Upper Mississippi River Basin: A regional climate model perspective" Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Vol. 109 Iss. D9 (2004) p. D09105
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/eugene-takle/38/