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What is Hydroclimate?
June 19, 2022 at 04:01 PM EDT
By Weatherbug's Sabrina Dineshkumar
You have probably heard the term climate used before, especially in regards to climate change, but what exactly does the term ‘hydroclimate’ refer to?
Well, we can start by separating the word into two main parts: ‘hydro’ and ‘climate’. ‘Climate’ generally refers to the long term trends of weather in an area. Climate scientists will usually examine the averages and variability of certain meteorological variables over several years to get an idea of the climate in an area. ‘Hydro’, which has Greek roots, essentially just means water. So, scientists who study ‘hydroclimate’ look at how water, moisture and other hydrological factors are changing over long time periods.
The field of hydroclimatology aims to investigate how changes in the hydrological cycle impact Earth’s climate system, as well as how changes in Earth’s climate affect the hydrological cycle. Hydroclimate, much like climate, can be studied on both small and large scales, such as looking at a specific region over time, as well as observing global changes.
In order to better understand hydroclimate, we need to first understand the hydrological cycle. This cycle describes how water on Earth transforms into different states and is recycled throughout our planet through various processes. For example, water in the ocean will evaporate into the atmosphere as water vapor, condense into droplets, then precipitate and finally fall back to Earth in forms such as rain, snow, or hail where it can then be recycled again. Water storage is also a key part of this cycle, and refers to how water is retained in parts of the hydrological system. Inflows add water to the cycle, while outflows take away water.
The ocean, which encompasses about 71 percent of Earth’s surface, is incredibly complex and plays a key role in climate and the hydrological cycle. Large and small scale ocean currents transport heat to different parts of the globe and control climate and weather patterns. Everything from tropical cyclones to coral bleaching has a strong connection to the ocean.
Since the hydrological cycle and temperature are dependent by nature, changes in Earth’s mean global temperature can cause changes to occur in the hydrological cycle. While some areas are predicted to experience more intense rainfall and possible flooding, other areas may see an exacerbation of drought conditions. All of these changes can affect the planet’s weather patterns, ecosystems, agriculture, and people’s lives.
Story Image: Picture of a river (Courtesy of Pexels)
Well, we can start by separating the word into two main parts: ‘hydro’ and ‘climate’. ‘Climate’ generally refers to the long term trends of weather in an area. Climate scientists will usually examine the averages and variability of certain meteorological variables over several years to get an idea of the climate in an area. ‘Hydro’, which has Greek roots, essentially just means water. So, scientists who study ‘hydroclimate’ look at how water, moisture and other hydrological factors are changing over long time periods.
The field of hydroclimatology aims to investigate how changes in the hydrological cycle impact Earth’s climate system, as well as how changes in Earth’s climate affect the hydrological cycle. Hydroclimate, much like climate, can be studied on both small and large scales, such as looking at a specific region over time, as well as observing global changes.
In order to better understand hydroclimate, we need to first understand the hydrological cycle. This cycle describes how water on Earth transforms into different states and is recycled throughout our planet through various processes. For example, water in the ocean will evaporate into the atmosphere as water vapor, condense into droplets, then precipitate and finally fall back to Earth in forms such as rain, snow, or hail where it can then be recycled again. Water storage is also a key part of this cycle, and refers to how water is retained in parts of the hydrological system. Inflows add water to the cycle, while outflows take away water.
The ocean, which encompasses about 71 percent of Earth’s surface, is incredibly complex and plays a key role in climate and the hydrological cycle. Large and small scale ocean currents transport heat to different parts of the globe and control climate and weather patterns. Everything from tropical cyclones to coral bleaching has a strong connection to the ocean.
Since the hydrological cycle and temperature are dependent by nature, changes in Earth’s mean global temperature can cause changes to occur in the hydrological cycle. While some areas are predicted to experience more intense rainfall and possible flooding, other areas may see an exacerbation of drought conditions. All of these changes can affect the planet’s weather patterns, ecosystems, agriculture, and people’s lives.
Story Image: Picture of a river (Courtesy of Pexels)