Science Source
Anthropogenic warming impacts on California snowpack during drought
- Simulates Sierra Nevada climate and snowpack during the period of extreme drought from 2011 to 2015
- Compares first simulation to another that is identical except for the removal of the twentieth century anthropogenic warming
- Results show that anthropogenic warming reduced average snowpack levels by 25%, with middle-to-low elevations experiencing reductions between 26 and 43%
- In terms of event frequency, return periods associated with anomalies in 4 year 1 April snow water equivalent are estimated to have doubled, and possibly quadrupled, due to past warming
- Concludes that past human emissions of greenhouse gases are already negatively impacting statewide water resources during drought
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