Date of Award:

5-2012

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

David G. Tarboton

Committee

David G. Tarboton

Committee

Robert R. Gillies

Committee

Jagath J. Kaluarachchi

Committee

Mac McKee

Committee

R. Douglas Ramsey

Abstract

Hydrologic science is broadly defined as the geoscience that describes and predicts the occurrence, circulation and distribution of the water of the earth and its atmosphere. The need to predict the effects of land cover and climate changes with their associated impacts on hydrology are among the pressing areas of research, especially within the western United States. The main objective of this dissertation is to provide a better knowledge of land use or land cover along with climate change impacts on streamflow generated from watersheds in the semi-arid intermountain region in and around Utah. This objective was addressed using analyses of historical observations, as well as statistical and physically based computer models. The results show trends in streamflow and other associated climate quantities in the Utah watersheds studied. The dissertation also presents a quantification of the sensitivity of streamflow to changes in land cover related to watershed management. The Great Salt Lake, a closed basin lake that receives inputs from its surrounding watershed, has a level that fluctuates in response to streamflow and other inputs. A model for fluctuations in Great Salt Lake volume and level was used to quantify the sensitivity of these fluctuations to changes in streamflow inputs, and climate conditions over the lake that drive evaporation from the lake.

Checksum

19f8eef38e83ee9c5f0ee1e00b27016a

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on April 10, 2012.

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