HR: 16:00h
AN: H54A-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Climate and Climate Variability as Input to Surface Dynamic Models
AU: * Syvitski, J P
EM: syvitski@colorado.edu
AF: INSTAAR, Environmental Computation and Imaging Group, INSTAAR, Univ of Colorado, 1560 30th St,, Boulder, CO 80309-0450 United States
AU: Kettner, A J
EM: kettner@colorado.edu
AF: INSTAAR, Environmental Computation and Imaging Group, INSTAAR, Univ of Colorado, 1560 30th St,, Boulder, CO 80309-0450 United States
AU: Vorosmarty, C
EM: charles.vorosmarty@unh.edu
AF: ISEOS, Water Systems Analysis Group, ISEOS, Univ of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: Green, P
EM: pam.green@unh.edu
AF: ISEOS, Water Systems Analysis Group, ISEOS, Univ of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AB: An important way to investigate the interwoven complexity of earth surface processes is through the judicious application of surface dynamic models. Community-developed models (e.g. HydroTrend, SedFlux) are continuously upgraded in their representation of biophysical processes. Their general use, however, often depend on the availability of appropriate numerical boundary conditions, such as the time dependency of spatial climatic factors (e.g. wind-wave, rainfall, temperature), and geomorphic basin properties (e.g. DEM, geology, distribution of ice-fields and lakes). In an effort to aid the penetration of these models into the surface dynamics community, we have investigated the utility of global climate and biophysical data sets. We have conducted an analysis of the gridded temperature and precipitation data (1970-1999) released by NOAA/NCDC and GHCN/U. Delaware, the gridded global discharge data from GRDC and U. New Hampshire (1960-1994), and the gridded wind-wave data (1997-2004) from NOAA's World Wavewatch III. Our presentation highlights the time-sequencing of this data and the use of the coefficient of variation as an aid to understanding within month, between month and between year temporal climate variability. In conjunction with daily global satellite imaging (MODIS), earth scientists can presently "witness" how climate manifests itself across landscapes, and thus develop a fuller appreciation of the impact of climate on surface dynamics (fires, river floods, sediment plumes, resuspension events, landslides). In addition to climate forcings, an increasing domination of the terrestrial water cycle, through diverse activities such as irrigation, diversion, and impoundment, will embed its impact into these dynamics. Future earth-surface modeling must take these factors into account.
DE: 8105 Continental margins and sedimentary basins
DE: 4500 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
DE: 1854 Precipitation (3354)
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting