In response to ongoing and future-projected global warming, mid-latitude, nival river basins are expected to transition from a snowmelt-dominated flow regime to a nival-pluvial one with an earlier spring freshet of reduced magnitude. There is, however, a rich variation in responses that depends on factors such as the topographic complexity of the basin and the strength of maritime influences. We illustrate the potential effects of a strong maritime influence by studying future changes in cold season flow variability in the Fraser River Basin (FRB) of British Columbia, a large extratropical watershed extending from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. We use a process-based hydrological model driven by an ensemble of 21 statistically downscaled simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), following the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP 8.5).
Ul Islam, S., Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada; Curry, C.L., Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada; Déry, S.J., Environmental Science and Engineering Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada; Zwiers, F.W., Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
Recommended Citation:
Ul Islam S.,Curry C.L.,Déry S.J.,et al. Quantifying projected changes in runoff variability and flow regimes of the Fraser River Basin; British Columbia[J]. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences,2019-01-01,23(2)