ABSTRACT
The hydrological cycle is a fundamental component of the global climate system. Over millennial and century timescales, natural variations in the climate system have caused major changes in the state (i.e., snow or rain) and spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation leading to periods of significant aridification or humidity. Many of the most important environmental and societal effects of anthropogenic climate change are likely to be caused by changes in the hydrological cycle. Changes in the timing, amount, intensity, and state of precipitation and changes in atmospheric evaporative demand resulting from the combined effects of changes in temperature, radiation, humidity, and windspeed will modify surface and subsurface water availability. Land surface characteristics mediate the hydrological response and will further complicate hydrological outcomes due to the confounding effects of land use and land cover changes in response to, among other things, higher temperatures, soil moisture availability, groundwater connectivity, and human activity.
