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Title: Variability in climate change simulations affects needed long-term riverine nutrient reductions for the Baltic Sea

Abstract

Changes to runoff due to climate change may influence management of nutrient loading to the sea. Assuming unchanged river nutrient concentrations, we evaluate the effects of changing runoff on commitments to nutrient reductions under the Baltic Sea Action Plan. For several countries, climate projections point to large variability in load changes in relation to reduction targets. These changes either increase loads, making the target more difficult to reach, or decrease them, leading instead to a full achievement of the target. The impact of variability in climate projections varies with the size of the reduction target and is larger for countries with more limited commitments. Finally, in the end, a number of focused actions are needed to manage the effects of climate change on nutrient loads: reducing uncertainty in climate projections, deciding on frameworks to identify best performing models with respect to land surface hydrology, and increasing efforts at sustained monitoring of water flow changes.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States). Inst. for the Study of the Earth, Oceans and Space
  2. Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; Stockholm Univ. (Sweden); Swedish Research Council (SRC)
OSTI Identifier:
1354795
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Ambio
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 44; Journal Issue: S3; Journal ID: ISSN 0044-7447
Publisher:
Springer
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Baltic Sea drainage basin; Baltic Sea Action Plan; Climate change; Waterborne nutrient transport; CMIP5 general circulation models; Runoff projections

Citation Formats

Bring, Arvid, Rogberg, Peter, and Destouni, Georgia. Variability in climate change simulations affects needed long-term riverine nutrient reductions for the Baltic Sea. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0657-5.
Bring, Arvid, Rogberg, Peter, & Destouni, Georgia. Variability in climate change simulations affects needed long-term riverine nutrient reductions for the Baltic Sea. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0657-5
Bring, Arvid, Rogberg, Peter, and Destouni, Georgia. Thu . "Variability in climate change simulations affects needed long-term riverine nutrient reductions for the Baltic Sea". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0657-5. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1354795.
@article{osti_1354795,
title = {Variability in climate change simulations affects needed long-term riverine nutrient reductions for the Baltic Sea},
author = {Bring, Arvid and Rogberg, Peter and Destouni, Georgia},
abstractNote = {Changes to runoff due to climate change may influence management of nutrient loading to the sea. Assuming unchanged river nutrient concentrations, we evaluate the effects of changing runoff on commitments to nutrient reductions under the Baltic Sea Action Plan. For several countries, climate projections point to large variability in load changes in relation to reduction targets. These changes either increase loads, making the target more difficult to reach, or decrease them, leading instead to a full achievement of the target. The impact of variability in climate projections varies with the size of the reduction target and is larger for countries with more limited commitments. Finally, in the end, a number of focused actions are needed to manage the effects of climate change on nutrient loads: reducing uncertainty in climate projections, deciding on frameworks to identify best performing models with respect to land surface hydrology, and increasing efforts at sustained monitoring of water flow changes.},
doi = {10.1007/s13280-015-0657-5},
journal = {Ambio},
number = S3,
volume = 44,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Thu May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Cited by: 13 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

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