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APPLICATIONS OF A GIS FOR MODELING THE SENSITIVITY OF WATER RESOURCES TO ALTERATIONS IN CLIMATE IN THE GUNNISON RIVER BASIN, COLORADO 1
Author(s) -
Battaglin William A.,
Hay Lauren E.,
Parker Randolph S.,
Leauesley George H.
Publication year - 1993
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/j.1752-1688.1993.tb03265.x
Subject(s) - digital elevation model , drainage basin , environmental science , elevation (ballistics) , hydrological modelling , watershed , hydrology (agriculture) , climate change , structural basin , geographic information system , precipitation , water resources , remote sensing , geology , geography , meteorology , climatology , cartography , computer science , ecology , geomorphology , oceanography , geometry , mathematics , geotechnical engineering , machine learning , biology
The Gunnison River drains a mountainous basin in western Colorado, and is a large contributor of water to the Colorado River. As part of a study to assess water resource sensitivity to alterations in climate in the Gunnison River basin, climatic and hydrologic processes are being modeled. A geographic information system (GIS) is being used in this study as a link between data and modelers ‐ serving as a common data base for project personnel with differing specialties, providing a means to investigate the effects of scale on model results, and providing a framework for the transfer of parameter values among models. Specific applications presented include: (1) developing elevation grids for a precipitation model from digital elevation model (DEM) point‐elevation values, and visualizing the effects of grid resolution on model results; (2) using a GIS to facilitate the definition and parameterization of a distributed‐parameters, watershed model in multiple basins; and (3) nesting atmospheric and hydrologic models to produce possible scenarios of climate change.