Predicting effects of global climate change on reservoir water quality and fish habitat

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:7148444

Chang, L H; Railsback, S F ^[1]

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1. Duke Univ., Durham, NC (USA). School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

This paper demonstrates the use of general circulation models (GCMs) for assessing global climate change effects on reservoir water quality and illustrates that general conclusions about the effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) concentrations on water resources can be made by using GCMs. These conclusions are based on GCM predictions of the climatic effects of doubling CO{sub 2} concentrations (the 2 {times} CO{sub 2} scenario). We also point out inadequacies in using information from GCM output alone to simulate reservoir water quality effects of climate change. Our investigation used Douglas Lake, a large multipurpose reservoir in eastern Tennessee, as an example. We studied water temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO), important water quality parameters that are expected to respond to a changed climate. Finally, we used the temperature and DO requirements of striped bass as an indicator of biological effects of combined changes in temperature and DO. 3 refs., 1 fig.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 7148444
• Report Number(s): CONF-900483-1; ON: DE90003674
• Resource Relation: Conference: 1990 American Society of Civil Engineers Water Resources Planning and Management Division specialty conference, Fort Worth, TX (USA), 17-20 Apr 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
FORECASTING
CLIMATES
MODIFICATIONS
AIR POLLUTION
CONCENTRATION RATIO
FISHES
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
OXYGEN
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TENNESSEE
WATER RESERVOIRS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION IV
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)