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8,978,000 Yen (FY1994; 2,743,000 Yen)
In this research, we estimated the existing amount of precipitation, snow accumulation, and evapotranspiration constituting the hydrologic cycle process of catchment areas in snowy cold regions. We also calculated the changes in these estimates from the scenario of global warming. We investigated the Ishikari River catchment area, whose area is 14,300 km2
First, we estimated the existing amounts of precipitation, snow accumulation, and evapotranspiration constituting the hydrologic cycle process of catchment areas in snowy cold regions. The precipitation and evapotranspiration were estimated from meteorologica1 data of the catchment area. The amount of water equivalent to the snow cover was estimated by finding snowlines from satellite LANDSAT, MOS-1, NOAA images and aerial photographs, and applying the degree day method to the snowlines. The estimates of the effective precipitation values calculated by the above methods were compared with the volume of runoff from the river to examine the process of the hydrologic cycle from the water balance.
Next, we examined the changes in these estimates from a scenario of global warming in which the current carbon dioxide emissions are doubled. We obtained the scenario from data computed from the mesoscale model based on the General Circulation Model. Using this data, we projected how the hydrologic cycle of catchment areas in snowy cold regions would change. As a result, a smaller amount of snowfall and snow accumulation, and an earlier arriva1 of the snow melt period, would be conspicuous.
Global warming, Hydrologic cycle of large catchment areas, Water balance, Catchment areas in snowy cold regions, Satelite images