Snowmelt contributions to discharge of the Ganges

C. Siderius; H. Biemans; A. Wilthshire; S. Rao; W.H.P. Franssen; P. Kumar; A.K. Gosain; A. van Vliet; D.N. Collins

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.084

Snowmelt contributions to discharge of the Ganges

C. Siderius, H. Biemans, A. Wilthshire, S. Rao, W.H.P. Franssen, P. Kumar, A.K. Gosain, A. van Vliet, D.N. Collins

Climate Resilience

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

63 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Himalayan headwaters supply large quantities of runoff derived from snowmelt and monsoon rainfall to the Ganges River. Actual snowmelt contribution to discharge in the Ganges remains conjectural under both present and future climatic conditions. As snowmelt is likely to be perturbed through climatic warming, four hydrological models, VIC, JULES, LPJmL and SWAT, appropriate for coupling with regional climate models, were used to provide a baseline estimate of snowmelt contribution to flow at seasonal and annual timescales. The models constrain estimates of snowmelt contributions to between 1% and 5% of overall basin runoff. Snowmelt is, however, significant in spring months, a period in which other sources of runoff are scarce

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	S93-S101
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	468-469
Issue number	Suppl.
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.084
Publication status	Published - 2013

Keywords

climate-change
water availability
glaciers
hydrology
balance
basins
runoff
india

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10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.084

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ESS-CC
Project: Other
HIGHNOON: HighNoon: adaptation to changing water resources availability in northern India with Himalayan glacier retreat and changing monsoon pattern
1/05/09 → 30/04/12
Project: EU research project

Cite this

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title = "Snowmelt contributions to discharge of the Ganges",

abstract = "Himalayan headwaters supply large quantities of runoff derived from snowmelt and monsoon rainfall to the Ganges River. Actual snowmelt contribution to discharge in the Ganges remains conjectural under both present and future climatic conditions. As snowmelt is likely to be perturbed through climatic warming, four hydrological models, VIC, JULES, LPJmL and SWAT, appropriate for coupling with regional climate models, were used to provide a baseline estimate of snowmelt contribution to flow at seasonal and annual timescales. The models constrain estimates of snowmelt contributions to between 1% and 5% of overall basin runoff. Snowmelt is, however, significant in spring months, a period in which other sources of runoff are scarce",

keywords = "climate-change, water availability, glaciers, hydrology, balance, basins, runoff, india",

author = "C. Siderius and H. Biemans and A. Wilthshire and S. Rao and W.H.P. Franssen and P. Kumar and A.K. Gosain and {van Vliet}, A. and D.N. Collins",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.084",

language = "English",

volume = "468-469",

pages = "S93--S101",

journal = "Science of the Total Environment",

issn = "0048-9697",

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number = "Suppl.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Snowmelt contributions to discharge of the Ganges

AU - Siderius, C.

AU - Biemans, H.

AU - Wilthshire, A.

AU - Rao, S.

AU - Franssen, W.H.P.

AU - Kumar, P.

AU - Gosain, A.K.

AU - van Vliet, A.

AU - Collins, D.N.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Himalayan headwaters supply large quantities of runoff derived from snowmelt and monsoon rainfall to the Ganges River. Actual snowmelt contribution to discharge in the Ganges remains conjectural under both present and future climatic conditions. As snowmelt is likely to be perturbed through climatic warming, four hydrological models, VIC, JULES, LPJmL and SWAT, appropriate for coupling with regional climate models, were used to provide a baseline estimate of snowmelt contribution to flow at seasonal and annual timescales. The models constrain estimates of snowmelt contributions to between 1% and 5% of overall basin runoff. Snowmelt is, however, significant in spring months, a period in which other sources of runoff are scarce

AB - Himalayan headwaters supply large quantities of runoff derived from snowmelt and monsoon rainfall to the Ganges River. Actual snowmelt contribution to discharge in the Ganges remains conjectural under both present and future climatic conditions. As snowmelt is likely to be perturbed through climatic warming, four hydrological models, VIC, JULES, LPJmL and SWAT, appropriate for coupling with regional climate models, were used to provide a baseline estimate of snowmelt contribution to flow at seasonal and annual timescales. The models constrain estimates of snowmelt contributions to between 1% and 5% of overall basin runoff. Snowmelt is, however, significant in spring months, a period in which other sources of runoff are scarce

KW - climate-change

KW - water availability

KW - glaciers

KW - hydrology

KW - balance

KW - basins

KW - runoff

KW - india

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.084

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.084

M3 - Article

VL - 468-469

SP - S93-S101

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

IS - Suppl.

ER -

Snowmelt contributions to discharge of the Ganges

Abstract

Keywords

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Projects

ESS-CC

HIGHNOON: HighNoon: adaptation to changing water resources availability in northern India with Himalayan glacier retreat and changing monsoon pattern

Cite this