HR: 0800h
AN: C21C-1120    [Abstracts]
TI: Synthesis of Water Balance Data for Northern Research Basins
AU: * Gieck, R E
EM: fnreg@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Kane, D L
EM: ffdlk@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Kitover, D C
EM: ftdck@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Yang, D
EM: ffdy@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AB: Data from 39 high latitude research basins located in seven countries is examined for relationships between the various hydrologic variables. Clearly, there is a significant decrease in precipitation with higher latitude; however, those basins in the proximity of ice-free oceans and seas received considerably more precipitation. Most watersheds receive more precipitation as rainfall than snowfall except those in the high Canadian archipelago and a few centrally located on the continents near the Arctic Ocean. The amount of precipitation as snow increases with higher latitude as expected. Evapotranspiration follows the same trend as precipitation, decreasing with increasing latitude. Large open water bodies clearly have an impact on both the climate and hydrologic response of the watersheds, while the research basins with continental climate respond in a similar manner. Permafrost without a doubt has an impact on the hydrologic response. The lack of subsurface storage in areas with permafrost results in the runoff ratio actually increasing with higher latitude.
DE: 1827 Glaciology (0736, 0776, 1863)
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
DE: 1848 Monitoring networks
DE: 1876 Water budgets
DE: 4540 Ice mechanics and air/sea/ice exchange processes (0700, 0750, 0752, 0754)
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005