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Modeling the effect of glacier recession on streamflow response using a coupled glacio-hydrological model

Journal Article · · Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [4]
  1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  2. Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Canada)
  3. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Quantum Spatial, Portland, OR (United States)
  4. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Here, we describe an integrated spatially distributed hydrologic and glacier dynamic model, and use it to investigate the effect of glacier recession on streamflow variations for the Upper Bow River basin, a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River. Several recent studies have suggested that observed decreases in summer flows in the South Saskatchewan River are partly due to the retreat of glaciers in the river's headwaters. Modeling the effect of glacier changes on streamflow response in river basins such as the South Saskatchewan is complicated due to the inability of most existing physically-based distributed hydrologic models to represent glacier dynamics. We compare predicted variations in glacier extent, snow water equivalent and streamflow discharge made with the integrated model with satellite estimates of glacier area and terminus position, observed streamflow and snow water equivalent measurements over the period of 1980 2007. Simulations with the coupled hydrology-glacier model reduce the uncertainty in streamflow predictions. Our results suggested that on average, the glacier melt contribution to the Bow River flow upstream of Lake Louise is about 30% in summer. For warm and dry years, however, the glacier melt contribution can be as large as 50% in August, whereas for cold years, it can be as small as 20% and the timing of glacier melt signature can be delayed by a month.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1121805
Journal Information:
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (Online), Journal Name: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (Online) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 18; ISSN 1607-7938
Publisher:
European Geosciences Union (EGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (21)

Integrated simulation of snow and glacier melt in water and energy balance-based, distributed hydrological modeling framework at Hunza River Basin of Pakistan Karakoram region: INTEGRATED SNOW AND GLACIERMELT MODEL journal May 2015
A glacier runoff extension to the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System: A Glacier Runoff Extension to PRMS journal November 2016
Modeling hydrological process in a glacier basin on the central Tibetan Plateau with a distributed hydrology soil vegetation model: APPLICATION OF DHSVM AT A GLACIER BASIN journal August 2016
Parallel Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) using global arrays journal December 2019
Glacier Recession and the Response of Summer Streamflow in the Pacific Northwest United States, 1960-2099 journal September 2018
Glacial loss and its effect on riparian vegetation of alpine streams journal February 2018
Robust Adaptation Research in High Mountains: Integrating the Scientific, Social, and Ecological Dimensions of Glacio-Hydrological Change text January 2019
Water Balance Assessment under Different Glacier Coverage Scenarios in the Hunza Basin journal May 2019
Assessment on the Effect of Climate Change on Streamflow in the Source Region of the Yangtze River, China journal January 2017
Robust Adaptation Research in High Mountains: Integrating the Scientific, Social, and Ecological Dimensions of Glacio-Hydrological Change journal September 2017
The role of glacier changes and threshold definition in the characterisation of future streamflow droughts in glacierised catchments text January 2018
Technical note: Representing glacier geometry changes in a semi-distributed hydrological model text January 2018
Hydrological drought types in cold climates: quantitative analysis of causing factors and qualitative survey of impacts journal January 2015
Recent climatic, cryospheric, and hydrological changes over the interior of western Canada: a review and synthesis journal January 2016
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Assessing the Impacts of Hydrologic and Land Use Alterations on Water Temperature in the Farmington River Basin in Connecticut posted_content April 2019
Assessing the impact of hydrodynamics on large-scale flood wave propagation – a case study for the Amazon Basin journal January 2017
Technical note: Representing glacier geometry changes in a semi-distributed hydrological model journal January 2018
The role of glacier changes and threshold definition in the characterisation of future streamflow droughts in glacierised catchments journal January 2018
Quantification of different flow components in a high-altitude glacierized catchment (Dudh Koshi, Himalaya): some cryospheric-related issues journal January 2019
Assessing the impacts of hydrologic and land use alterations on water temperature in the Farmington River basin in Connecticut journal January 2019

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