Global Change and Extreme Hydrology: Testing Conventional Wisdom

Global Change and Extreme Hydrology: Testing Conventional Wisdom 
Committee on Hydrologic Science; National Research Council 
NAS Press | 2011 | ISBN: 0309217687 9780309217682 | 45 pages | PDF | 1 MB

This report presents an overview of the current state of the science in terms of climate change and extreme hydrologic events. It examines the "conventional wisdom" that climate change will "accelerate" the hydrologic cycle, fuel more evaporation, and generate more precipitation, based on an increased capacity of a warmer atmosphere to hold more water vapor. The report also includes descriptions of the changes in frequency and severity of extremes, the ability (or inability) to model these changes, and the problem of communicating the best science to water resources practitioners in useful forums.

Climate theory dictates that core elements of the climate system, including precipitation, evapotranspiration, and reservoirs of atmospheric and soil moisture, should change as the climate warms, both in their means and extremes. 
A major challenge that faces the climate and hydrologic science communities is understanding the nature of these ongoing changes in climate and hydrology and the apparent anomalies that exist in reconciling their extreme manifestations. 
This issue summarizes the proceedings of workshop held the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Hydrologic Science (COHS) on January 5-6, 2010. 

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