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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #295438
Title: The impact of climate change on soil erosion in Great Lakes Region

Author
item WANG, L - Purdue University
item CHERKAUER, K - Purdue University
item Flanagan, Dennis

Submitted to: International Association of Great Lakes Research Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2013
Publication Date: 6/2/2013
Citation: Wang, L.L., Cherkauer, K.A., Flanagan, D.C. 2013. The impact of climate change on soil erosion in Great Lakes Region [abstract]. In: Abstract Book, 56th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), June 2-6, 2013, Ann Arbor, MI. p. 294.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Quantifying changes in potential soil erosion under projections of changing climate is important for the sustainable management of land resources, especially for regions dominated by agricultural land use. One of the expected changes to climate in the future is an increase in the frequency and intensity of rain events. The recently developed VIC-WEPP (Variable Infiltration Capacity - Water Erosion Prediction Project) coupled model was utilized to quantify changes in potential soil erosion by water under three climate change scenarios (a1b, a2b, b1) using projections from three global climate models (GFDL, PCM, HadCM3) for the Great Lakes region. Soil loss estimates were developed for thirty year periods for the current century, and compared to estimates for a thirty year historical period. Relative changes in precipitation, freeze-thaw state of the soil, snow cover and other hydrologic metrics were used to explain changes in erosion potential, and regions with large projected changes in erosion risk were identified. The results may be useful for targeting future erosion control efforts and/or conservation funding.