3.1.3 → Verstärkung des Wasserkreislaufs – wichtiges Kennzeichen des Klimawandels
(Daniela Jacob & Stefan Hagemann)
3.1.3 → Intensification of the hydrological cycle – An important signal of climate change
(Daniela Jacob & Stefan Hagemann)
Intensification of the hydrological cycle – An important signal of climate change:
Future changes in the hydrological cycle may have important impacts on the society, e.g. with regard to flood risks, water availability and water quality. Although climate observations do not show consistent global trends in the hydrological cycle despite of the global warming in the past century, strong regional changes are possible.
These changes may not only vary regionally but also seasonally. Even if for some regions the mean hydrological cycle may not change, a change in the intensity distribution of precipitation may have significant climate impacts.