KUKU

KU ScholarWorks

  • myKU
  • Email
  • Enroll & Pay
  • KU Directory
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   KU ScholarWorks
    • Dissertations and Theses
    • Theses
    • View Item
    •   KU ScholarWorks
    • Dissertations and Theses
    • Theses
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Effects of Great Plains Irrigation on Regional Climate

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Huber_ku_0099M_11699_DATA_1.pdf (5.801Mb)
    Issue Date
    2011-08-31
    Author
    Huber, David B.
    Publisher
    University of Kansas
    Format
    68 pages
    Type
    Thesis
    Degree Level
    M.S.
    Discipline
    Geography
    Rights
    This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Irrigation provides a much needed source of water in regions of low precipitation such as the western Great Plains. However, adding water to a region that would otherwise see little natural precipitation has ramifications for the partitioning of radiative and turbulent fluxes, the development of the planetary boundary layer, and the transport of water vapor from the regions of irrigation. The first two effects have the potential to drastically alter the climate of irrigated regions of the Great Plains, while the transport mechanism can alter precipitation processes of regions far downstream of the irrigated areas. These effects are investigated in this thesis through the employment of the Advanced Research (ARW) implementation of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) version 3.1.1 using a pair of simulations representing an irrigated and non-irrigated Great Plains. It will be shown that the introduction of irrigation in the Great Plains alters the radiation budget by increasing latent heat flux and cooling the surface temperatures. These effects, in turn, provide additional moisture to the atmosphere and increases the net radiation at the surface, thus increasing moist static energy in the boundary layer and providing downstream convective systems with additional energy and moisture. The increase in atmospheric moisture nearly doubles precipitation accumulations downstream without producing any new precipitation events.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1808/8124
    Collections
    • Geography & Atmospheric Science Dissertations and Theses [184]
    • Theses [3906]

    Items in KU ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


    We want to hear from you! Please share your stories about how Open Access to this item benefits YOU.


    Contact KU ScholarWorks
    785-864-8983
    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    785-864-8983

    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    Image Credits
     

     

    Browse

    All of KU ScholarWorksCommunities & CollectionsThis Collection

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Contact KU ScholarWorks
    785-864-8983
    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    785-864-8983

    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    Image Credits
     

     

    The University of Kansas
      Contact KU ScholarWorks
    Lawrence, KS | Maps
     
    • Academics
    • Admission
    • Alumni
    • Athletics
    • Campuses
    • Giving
    • Jobs

    The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.

     Contact KU
    Lawrence, KS | Maps