Missing mountain water studied
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December 9, 2013 |
Recent Forest Service studies on high-elevation
climate trends in the Pacific Northwest show
that streamflow declines tie directly to
decreases and changes in winter winds that bring
precipitation across the region.
Scientists believe the driving factors behind
this finding relates to natural climate
variations and man-made climate change.
Charlie Luce, a research hydrologist with the
Rocky Mountain Research Station's Aquatic
Sciences Laboratory in Boise, along with
cooperators at the University of Idaho and the
U.S. Forest Service Northern Region, reflect on
the decline of precipitation in the region's
mountains for 60 years.
Increasing wildfire area and earlier and lower
streamflows have generally been attributed to
warming temperatures.
"Our research," says Luce, "suggests that an
alternative mechanism – decreases in winter
winds leading to decreased precipitation – may
compound the changes expected from warming
alone.
“This is important because mountains are a
primary water source for the region. Less
precipitation leads to reduced runoff for
communities, industry and agriculture. Decreased
precipitation also exacerbates early snowmelt
tied to warming temperatures.
“Acknowledging the effects of decreasing
precipitation requires changes in how resource
specialists approach climate change adaptation
for water resources and forest management
compared to preparing for increased temperature
alone," he said.
According to Luce, this may present important
implications for changes in mountain
precipitation and future water availability for
other areas as well.
The American Association for the Advancement of
Science published the study, “The Missing
Mountain Water; Slower Westerlies Decrease
Orographic Enhancement in the Pacific Northwest
USA,” in their science journal on November 28. |
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