| Title: | A simple technique for obtaining future climate data inputs for natural resource models |
| Authors: | Trotochaud, J., D.C. Flanagam and B.A. Engel |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Journal: | Applied Engineering in Agriculture |
| Volume (Issue): | 32(3) |
| Pages: | 371-381 |
| Article ID: | |
| DOI: | 10.13031/aea.32.10993 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | data or component development |
| Primary Application Category: | data and/or component contribution to SWAT or SWAT+ |
| Secondary Application Category: | weather generator effects/processes |
| Watershed Description: | none |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | The article focuses primarily on examples of generating climate projections for the USDA WEPP water quality model weather generator (see info at https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/west-lafayette-in/national-soil-erosion-research/docs/wepp/research/), but the software can be used to support creation of similar weather generator files for SWAT. |
| Abstract: | Those conducting impact studies using natural resource models need to be able to quickly and easily obtain
downscaled future climate data from multiple General Circulation Models (GCMs), future scenarios, and timescales for
multiple locations. This article describes a method of quickly obtaining future climate data over a wide range of
scenarios, GCMs, and timescales from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change AR4 and AR5 model families
using the MarkSim DSSAT Weather Generator and a Microsoft Excel VBA Macro, the final result being a properly
formatted parameter (.par) file which can be used by CLIGEN (CLImate GENerator) within the Water Erosion Prediction
Project (WEPP) model. We developed a fast and simple method to create WEPP climate input files by using software
which already exists on most computers that does not require climatological or modeling knowledge to operate.
Ultimately, the method was modified to create continuous daily data for use with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool
(SWAT) as well. The final product is an automated spreadsheet with a simple user interface which imports, analyzes, and
generates climate input files for the WEPP and SWAT models. This article describes the methods, development, and
testing of the tool for use with CLIGEN and WEPP model simulations. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Downscaling, GCM, Modeling, SWAT, WEPP. |