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www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/7/493/2010/
doi:10.5194/hessd-7-493-2010
© Author(s) 2010. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Responses of snowmelt runoff to climatic change in an inland river basin, Northwestern China, over the past 50a
Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Abstract. The spatial and temporal variations of snowcover distribution, and snowmelt runoffs are considered as sensitive indicators for climatic change. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and forecast the responses of snowmelt runoff to climate change. The upstream of Heihe River Basin in Northwestern China was chose as the representative catchments, and the observation data of the meteorological and hydrological stations were utilized to analyze the status and the regularity for the climatic change from 1956 to 2008. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to develop an optimized technology for snow mapping in the mountainous region. Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) was chose to simulate snowmelt runoff and scenario forecast the change trend of snowmelt runoff in catchment scale for the mountainous region in Northwestern China. The results show that climatic warming was apparent in the upstream of Heihe River Basin in the past 50a. Annual average air temperature of three different weather stations located in the basin has increased 2.1 °C, 2.6 °C and 2.9 °C, respectively. The snowmelt runoff has increased obviously from 1970 to present. With different warming climate scenarios, the results by SRM simulating showed that the first occurred time of snowmelt runoff shift ahead and discharge become larger as responses of snowmelt runoff to air temperature increasing, and the influence of temperature rising on average discharge of the whole snow season is not obvious. On the other hand, simulated discharge showed a marked increase trend with the increase of precipitation. And, the simulated results show that the increase of precipitation almost has no influence on the occurring time of snowmelt runoff.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 2150 KB) Interactive Discussion (Final Response, 8 Comments) Manuscript under review for HESS
Citation: Wang, J., Li, H.-Y., and Hao, X.-H.: Responses of snowmelt runoff to climatic change in an inland river basin, Northwestern China, over the past 50a, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 7, 493-528, doi:10.5194/hessd-7-493-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
