Climate Change Impacts on Spatiotemporal Soil Water Extremes in Geophysically Diverse Watersheds: A Comparison between East and West Tennessee Watersheds
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 29, Issue 3
Abstract
Climate change impacts hydrologic processes, compelling more regional water budget studies to understand spatiotemporal hydrological extremes. This study investigates the effects of climate change on water budgets, with a focus on soil moisture, in two Tennessee watersheds with different geoclimatic characteristics, the Obion and Nolichucky Rivers. Using the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrological model, the study projects water budgets for these watersheds until 2099, analyzing annual and seasonal runoff, recharge, and soil moisture to identify trends and extremes. Results showed that an increase in temperature of 2.7°C–6.4°C and a change of precipitation by 1%–4% is predicted for Tennessee, which will impact seasonal patterns, water balances, and soil moisture regimes. The overlapping of such impacts can lower soil moisture below the wilting point during 40%–50% of the growing season, impacting crop yields. The study identifies field capacity, clay soil percentage, and organic matter as key factors impacting the spatial extremes of croplands’ irrigation requirements. These findings underscore the need to understand soil moisture variability and extreme soil water conditions to optimize soil water management scenarios and mitigate future water shortage risks.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The study leading to these results has been conducted by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This work was supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the project “Increasing the Resilience of Agricultural Production in the Tennessee and Cumberland River Basins through More Efficient Water Resource Use” under the following grants: 2014-51130-22493 and 2015-68007-23212.
Disclaimer
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 29 • Issue 3 • June 2024
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jun 29, 2023
Accepted: Dec 29, 2023
Published online: Mar 29, 2024
Published in print: Jun 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Aug 29, 2024
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