Impacts of Climate Change on New Jersey Water Resources: Final Report

We have evaluated global climate model simulations of New Jersey climate and determined that the frequency of drought will decrease during the current century along with global warming, but with large variability. We have modified the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) for use in climate simulations. This involved adjustments to the model's convection, turbulence, and land surface schemes, and the discovery that spectral nudging is necessary for simulating high resolution land surface interactions in the correct location. We have attached RAMS to a hydrology model that for the first time simulates water table and stream flow nationally with surface forcing. The project that started with DEP funding is now continuing with funding from the National Science Foundation, and we will soon be able to combine these tools to determine in detail the consequences of future climate change for New Jersey water resources.DEP Contract SR-02-082, with amendments SR03-073 and SR04-052.Purpose: To create a simulation of climate change on New Jersey's water resources