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Variability and Trends in Runoff Efficiency in the Conterminous United States
Author(s) -
McCabe Gregory J.,
Wolock David M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/1752-1688.12431
Subject(s) - surface runoff , conus , aquifer , hydrology (agriculture) , streamflow , environmental science , precipitation , groundwater , geological survey , geology , drainage basin , geography , ecology , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , biology , cartography , meteorology
Variability and trends in water‐year runoff efficiency ( RE ) — computed as the ratio of water‐year runoff (streamflow per unit area) to water‐year precipitation — in the conterminous United States ( CONUS ) are examined for the 1951 through 2012 period. Changes in RE are analyzed using runoff and precipitation data aggregated to United States Geological Survey 8‐digit hydrologic cataloging units ( HU s). Results indicate increases in RE for some regions in the north‐central CONUS and large decreases in RE for the south‐central CONUS . The increases in RE in the north‐central CONUS are explained by trends in climate, whereas the large decreases in RE in the south‐central CONUS likely are related to groundwater withdrawals from the Ogallala aquifer to support irrigated agriculture.