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Title: Incorporating Climate Nonstationarity and Snowmelt Processes in Intensity–Duration–Frequency Analyses with Case Studies in Mountainous Areas

Journal Article · · Journal of Hydrometeorology
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  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
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In this work, downscaled high-resolution climate simulations were used to provide inputs to the physics-based Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM), which accounts for the combined effects of snowmelt and rainfall processes, to determine spatially distributed available water for runoff (AWR). After quasi-stationary time windows were identified based on model outputs extracted for two different mountainous field sites in Colorado and California, intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves for precipitation and AWR were generated and evaluated at each numerical grid to provide guidance on hydrological infrastructure design. Impacts of snowmelt are found to be spatially variable due to spatial heterogeneity associated with topography according to geostatistical analyses. AWR extremes have stronger spatial continuity compared to precipitation. Snowmelt impacts on AWR are more pronounced at the wet California site than at the semiarid Colorado site. The sensitivities of AWR and precipitation IDFs to increasing greenhouse gas emissions are found to be localized and spatially variable. In subregions with significant snowfall, snowmelt can result in an AWR (e.g., 6-h 100-yr events) that is 70% higher than precipitation. For comparison, future greenhouse gas emissions may increase 6-h 100-yr precipitation and AWR by up to 50% and 80%, respectively, toward the end of this century.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOD; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1580112
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA--132327
Journal Information:
Journal of Hydrometeorology, Journal Name: Journal of Hydrometeorology Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 20; ISSN 1525-755X
Publisher:
American Meteorological SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (1)

Evaluating next‐generation intensity–duration–frequency curves for design flood estimates in the snow‐dominated western United States journal December 2019

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