Climate Change Impacts on Mountain Snowpack Presented in a Knowledge to Action Framework
Title | Climate Change Impacts on Mountain Snowpack Presented in a Knowledge to Action Framework PDF eBook |
Author | Eric Allan Sproles |
Publisher | |
Pages | 192 |
Release | 2012 |
Genre | Climatic changes |
ISBN |
Throughout many of the world's mountain ranges snowpack accumulates during the winter and into the spring, providing a natural reservoir for water. As this reservoir melts, it fills streams and recharges groundwater for over 1 billion people globally. Despite its importance to water resources, our understanding of the storage capacity of mountain snowpack is incomplete. This partial knowledge limits our abilities to assess the impact that projected climate conditions will have on mountain snowpack and water resources. While understanding the effect of projected climate on mountain snowpack is a global question, it can be best understood at the basin scale. It is at this level that decision makers and water resource managers base their decisions and require a clarified understanding of basin's mountain snowpack. The McKenzie River Basin located in the central-western Cascades of Oregon exhibits characteristics typical of many mountain river systems globally and in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Here snowmelt provides critical water supply for hydropower, agriculture, ecosystems, recreation, and municipalities. While there is a surplus of water in winter, the summer months see flows reach a minimum and the same groups have to compete for a limited supply. Throughout the Pacific Northwestern United States, current analyses and those of projected future climate change impacts show rising temperatures, diminished snowpacks, and declining summertime streamflow. The impacts of climate change on water resources presents new challenges and requires fresh approaches to understanding problems that are only beginning to be recognized. Climate change also presents challenges to decision makers who need new kinds of climate and water information, and will need the scientific research community to help provide improved means of knowledge transfer. This dissertation quantified the basin-wide distribution of snowpack across multiple decades in present and in projected climate conditions, describing a 56% decrease in mountain snowpack with regional projected temperature increases. These results were used to develop a probabilistic understanding of snowpack in projected climates. This section described a significant shift in statistical relations of snowpack. One that would be statistically likely to accumulate every 3 out of 4 years would accumulate in 1 out of 20 years. Finally this research identifies methods to improved knowledge transfer from the research community to water resource professionals. Implementation of these recommendations would enable a more effective means of dissemination to stakeholders and policy makers. While this research focused only on the McKenzie River Basin, it has regional applications. Processes affecting snowpack in the McKenzie River Basin are similar to those in many other maritime, forested Pacific Northwest watersheds. The framework of this research could also be applied to regions outside of the Pacific Northwestern United States to gain a similar level of understanding of climate impacts on mountain snowpack.
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
Title | Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States PDF eBook |
Author | U.S. Global Change Research Program |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 193 |
Release | 2009-08-24 |
Genre | Business & Economics |
ISBN | 0521144078 |
Summarizes the science of climate change and impacts on the United States, for the public and policymakers.
The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
Title | The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate PDF eBook |
Author | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 755 |
Release | 2022-04-30 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 9781009157971 |
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing the science related to climate change. It provides policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of human-induced climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. This IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate is the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the observed and projected changes to the ocean and cryosphere and their associated impacts and risks, with a focus on resilience, risk management response options, and adaptation measures, considering both their potential and limitations. It brings together knowledge on physical and biogeochemical changes, the interplay with ecosystem changes, and the implications for human communities. It serves policymakers, decision makers, stakeholders, and all interested parties with unbiased, up-to-date, policy-relevant information. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States
Title | Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in the United States PDF eBook |
Author | Julie Koppel Maldonado |
Publisher | Springer |
Pages | 178 |
Release | 2014-04-05 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 3319052667 |
With a long history and deep connection to the Earth’s resources, indigenous peoples have an intimate understanding and ability to observe the impacts linked to climate change. Traditional ecological knowledge and tribal experience play a key role in developing future scientific solutions for adaptation to the impacts. The book explores climate-related issues for indigenous communities in the United States, including loss of traditional knowledge, forests and ecosystems, food security and traditional foods, as well as water, Arctic sea ice loss, permafrost thaw and relocation. The book also highlights how tribal communities and programs are responding to the changing environments. Fifty authors from tribal communities, academia, government agencies and NGOs contributed to the book. Previously published in Climatic Change, Volume 120, Issue 3, 2013.
Mountains and climate change : from understanding to action
Title | Mountains and climate change : from understanding to action PDF eBook |
Author | Thomas Kohler |
Publisher | |
Pages | 74 |
Release | 2009 |
Genre | Climatic changes |
ISBN | 9783905835168 |
Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation
Title | Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation PDF eBook |
Author | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 593 |
Release | 2012-05-28 |
Genre | Business & Economics |
ISBN | 1107025060 |
Extreme weather and climate events, interacting with exposed and vulnerable human and natural systems, can lead to disasters. This Special Report explores the social as well as physical dimensions of weather- and climate-related disasters, considering opportunities for managing risks at local to international scales. SREX was approved and accepted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 18 November 2011 in Kampala, Uganda.
Mountains and Climate Change
Title | Mountains and Climate Change PDF eBook |
Author | |
Publisher | |
Pages | 136 |
Release | 2014 |
Genre | |
ISBN |