An international team of scientists, including one from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), has found that up to 20 percent loss in the annual maximum amount of water contained in the Western United States‘ mountain snowpack in the last three decades is due to human influence.
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| A new study shows that climate change has a significant impact on snowpack loss. |
Peak runoff in streams and rivers of the Western U.S. is strongly influenced by melting of accumulated mountain snowpack. A significant decline in this resource has a direct connection to streamflow, with substantial economic and societal impacts.
The team showed that observed snowpack loss between the 1980s and 2000s is consistent with results from climate simulations with combined changes in natural factors (such as solar irradiance and volcanic aerosols) and human influences (such as greenhouse gases, aerosols, ozone and land use). The observed snowpack loss was inconsistent with simulations that considered natural influences only.
Based on the current state of the snowpack, the researchers estimate a further loss of up to 60 percent within the next 30 years.
Read the Science and Technology Research News story - “Study on Impact of Climate Change on Snowpack.”
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