Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau
Located in the Tibetan Plateau, the upstream regions of the Mekong River (UM) and the Salween River (US) are very sensitive to climate change. The ‘VIC-glacier‘ model, which links a degree-day glacier algorithm with variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model, was employed and the model parameters we...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IWA Publishing
2020-04-01
|
| Series: | Hydrology Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hr.iwaponline.com/content/51/2/272 |
| _version_ | 1818061451617632256 |
|---|---|
| author | Yueguan Zhang Zhenchun Hao Chong-Yu Xu Xide Lai |
| author_facet | Yueguan Zhang Zhenchun Hao Chong-Yu Xu Xide Lai |
| author_sort | Yueguan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Located in the Tibetan Plateau, the upstream regions of the Mekong River (UM) and the Salween River (US) are very sensitive to climate change. The ‘VIC-glacier‘ model, which links a degree-day glacier algorithm with variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model, was employed and the model parameters were calibrated on observed streamflow, glacier mass balance and MODIS snowcover data. Results indicate that: (1) glacier-melt runoff exhibits a significant increase in both areas by the Mann–Kendall test. Snowmelt runoff shows an increasing trend in the UM, while the US is characterized by a decreasing tendency. In the UM, the snowmelt runoff peak shifts from June in the baseline period 1964–1990 to May for both the 1990s and 2000s; (2) rainfall runoff was considered as the first dominant factor driving changes of river discharge, which could be responsible for over 84% in total runoff trend over the two regions. The glacial runoff illustrates the secondary influence on the total runoff tendency; (3) although the hydrological regime is rain dominated in these two basins, the glacier compensation effect in these regions is obvious, especially in dry years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:48:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-780d6f9957a442cd9365b388ae21e8c4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1998-9563 2224-7955 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T13:48:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-780d6f9957a442cd9365b388ae21e8c42022-12-22T01:46:20ZengIWA PublishingHydrology Research1998-95632224-79552020-04-0151227228910.2166/nh.2019.075075Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan PlateauYueguan Zhang0Zhenchun Hao1Chong-Yu Xu2Xide Lai3 Department of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0316, Norway Department of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China Located in the Tibetan Plateau, the upstream regions of the Mekong River (UM) and the Salween River (US) are very sensitive to climate change. The ‘VIC-glacier‘ model, which links a degree-day glacier algorithm with variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model, was employed and the model parameters were calibrated on observed streamflow, glacier mass balance and MODIS snowcover data. Results indicate that: (1) glacier-melt runoff exhibits a significant increase in both areas by the Mann–Kendall test. Snowmelt runoff shows an increasing trend in the UM, while the US is characterized by a decreasing tendency. In the UM, the snowmelt runoff peak shifts from June in the baseline period 1964–1990 to May for both the 1990s and 2000s; (2) rainfall runoff was considered as the first dominant factor driving changes of river discharge, which could be responsible for over 84% in total runoff trend over the two regions. The glacial runoff illustrates the secondary influence on the total runoff tendency; (3) although the hydrological regime is rain dominated in these two basins, the glacier compensation effect in these regions is obvious, especially in dry years.http://hr.iwaponline.com/content/51/2/272climate changeglacial runoffsnowmelt runofftibetan plateauvic-glacier model |
| spellingShingle | Yueguan Zhang Zhenchun Hao Chong-Yu Xu Xide Lai Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau Hydrology Research climate change glacial runoff snowmelt runoff tibetan plateau vic-glacier model |
| title | Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | response of melt water and rainfall runoff to climate change and their roles in controlling streamflow changes of the two upstream basins over the tibetan plateau |
| topic | climate change glacial runoff snowmelt runoff tibetan plateau vic-glacier model |
| url | http://hr.iwaponline.com/content/51/2/272 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yueguanzhang responseofmeltwaterandrainfallrunofftoclimatechangeandtheirrolesincontrollingstreamflowchangesofthetwoupstreambasinsoverthetibetanplateau AT zhenchunhao responseofmeltwaterandrainfallrunofftoclimatechangeandtheirrolesincontrollingstreamflowchangesofthetwoupstreambasinsoverthetibetanplateau AT chongyuxu responseofmeltwaterandrainfallrunofftoclimatechangeandtheirrolesincontrollingstreamflowchangesofthetwoupstreambasinsoverthetibetanplateau AT xidelai responseofmeltwaterandrainfallrunofftoclimatechangeandtheirrolesincontrollingstreamflowchangesofthetwoupstreambasinsoverthetibetanplateau |