Evaluation of Potential Impacts on Great Lakes Water Resources Based on Climate Scenarios of Two GCMs

Evaluation of Potential Impacts on Great Lakes Water Resources Based on Climate Scenarios of Two GCMs

2002

The results of general circulation model predictions of the effects of climate change from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis (model CGCM1) and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office's Hadley Centre (model HadCM2) have been used to derive potential impacts on the water resources of the Great Lakes basin. These impacts can influence the levels of the Great Lakes and the volumes of channel flow among them, thus affecting their value for interests such as riparians, shippers, recreational boaters, and natural ecosystems. On one hand, a hydrological modeling suite using input data from the CGCM1 predicts large drops in lake levels, up to a maximum of 1.38 m on Lakes Michigan and Huron by 2090. This is due to a combination of a decrease in precipitation and an increase in air temperature that leads to an increase in evaporation. On the other hand, using input from HadCM2, rises in lake levels are predicted, up to a maximum of 0.35 m on Lakes Michigan and Huron by 2090, due to increased precipitation and a reduced increase in air temperature. An interest satisfaction model shows sharp decreases in the satisfaction of the interests of commercial navigation, recreational boating, riparians, and hydropower due to lake level decreases. Most interest satisfaction scores are also reduced by lake level increases. Drastic reductions in ice cover also result from the temperature increases such that under the CGCM1 predictions, most of Lake Erie has 96% of its winters ice-free by 2090. Assessment is also made of impacts on the groundwater-dependent region of Lansing, Michigan.

Lofgren, Brent M.
Quinn, Frank H.
Clites, Anne H.
Assel, Raymond
Eberhardt, Anthony J.
Luukkonen, Carol L.

NOAA/Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, MI
NOAA/Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, MI
Buffalo District, US Armp Corps of Engineers, NY
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, MI
Buffalo District, US Army Corps of Engineers, NY
US Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, MI

US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
US Army Corps of Engineers
US Geological Survey

17

Surface Water
Water Use & Availability
Hydrology
Water Biology & Aquatic Habitat
Water Monitoring & Assessment
Water Policy

water resource
water resources
climate change
climate changes
model
models
modeling
modeled
ice cover
ice-cover
lake level
lake levels

2000-2009

Yes

Do Not Have Copyright Permission

Minnesota Water Research Digital Library