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A nested modeling study of elevation‐dependent climate change signals in California induced by increased atmospheric CO 2
Author(s) -
Kim Jinwon
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl013198
Subject(s) - snowmelt , snow , environmental science , albedo (alchemy) , precipitation , climate change , atmospheric sciences , elevation (ballistics) , climatology , surface runoff , climate model , meltwater , geology , meteorology , geography , art , ecology , oceanography , geometry , mathematics , performance art , biology , art history
Dynamically downscaled climate change signals due to increased atmospheric CO 2 are investigated for three California basins. The downscaled signals show strong elevation dependence, mainly due to elevated freezing levels in the increased CO 2 climate. Below 2.5 km, rainfall increases by over 150% while snowfall decreases by 20–40% in the winter. Above 2.5 km, rainfall and snowfall both increase in the winter, as the freezing levels appear mostly below this level. Winter snowmelt increases in all elevations due to warmer temperatures in the increased CO 2 climate. Reduced snowfall and enhanced snowmelt during the winter decreases snowmelt‐driven spring runoff below the 2.5 km level, where the peak snowmelt occurs one month earlier in the increased CO 2 climate. Above 2.5km, increased winter snowfall maintains snowmelt‐driven runoff through most of the warm season. The altered hydrologic characteristics in the increased CO 2 climate affect the diurnal temperature variation mainly via snow‐albedo‐soil moisture feedback.