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Water Resources in a Changing Climate

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Global Climate Change and Freshwater Ecosystems

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Abstract

There has been a growing concern over the past two decades that global warming is underway and that it will occur more rapidly than has ever been recorded in geologic history (Levine, this volume). While some of the consequences of this warming such as sea level rise, desertification, and shifts in precipitation are recognized, the full implications of global climate change are poorly understood. Numerous studies have investigated potential effects of climate change on surface water runoff (Aston, 1984; Gleick, 1987; Idso and Brazel, 1984; Revelle and Waggoner, 1983) but only recently have the potential effects on water resources and water management been investigated (Gleick, 1989; Kates et al., 1985; Klemes, 1985; WMO, 1987; Waggoner, 1990). One of the major concerns of shifting precipitation patterns are the resulting changes in water quantity and water quality, which can have profound effects on water resources management at the local and regional level. Water resources management practices, in general, have focused on single project management for extreme events (Linsley and Franzini, 1979). Techniques for multiproject management have been applied for water quantity but these techniques typically do not consider cumulative impacts on water quality. Moreover, the effects of climate change on regional studies of water quality and water resources are limited.

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Authors
  1. Dennis E. Ford
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  2. Kent W. Thornton
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biotic Systems and Resources Division, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC, 20550, USA

    Penelope Firth

  2. Department of Zoology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    Stuart G. Fisher

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Ford, D.E., Thornton, K.W. (1992). Water Resources in a Changing Climate. In: Firth, P., Fisher, S.G. (eds) Global Climate Change and Freshwater Ecosystems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2814-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2814-1_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7681-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2814-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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