Research and applications needs in flood hydrology science: A summary of the October 15, 2008 workshop of the planning committee on hydrologic science

Abstract

Flood damages have increased greatly over the last century. As noted by Pielke et al. (2002; Figure 1), a number of reasons for this have been suggested, the most common being development that has encroached upon flood plains. More recently, climate change, as it might have and might in the future affect weather extremes, has been suggested as a possible cause, notwithstanding that the scientific evidence as to whether U.S. floods have increased is mixed. It is generally accepted that in a warming climate, some acceleration of the hydrologic cycle can be expected, based on the fact that the water holding capacity of the atmosphere increases with temperature. Specifics, however, are much more difficult to ascertain, given strong regional variations in the manifestation of climate change, and the interaction of mechanisms that might (or might not) lead to increased flood frequency in a warming climate.