Multimodel Estimate of the Global Terrestrial Water Balance: Setup and First Results

• DOI: 10.1175/2011jhm1324.1
• Publication Date: 2011-03-02T15:59:18Z
• Authors: Ingjerd Haddeland; Douglas B. Clark; Wietse Franssen; Fulco Ludwig; Frank Voß; Nigel W. Arnell; Nathalie Bertrand; Martin Best; Sonja Folwell; Dieter Gerten; Sandra Gomes; Simon N. Gosling; Stefan Hagemann; Naota Hanasaki; Richard Harding; Jens Heinke; Pavel Kabat; Sujan Koirala; Taikan Oki; Jan Polcher; Tobias Stacke; Pedro Viterbo; Graham P. Weedon; Pat Yeh
• Keywords: Water balance; Water cycle

Abstract Six land surface models and five global hydrological participate in a model intercomparison project [Water Model Intercomparison Project (WaterMIP)], which for the first time compares simulation results of these different classes consistent way. In this paper, setup is described aspects multimodel terrestrial water balance are presented. All were run at 0.5° spatial resolution areas 15-yr period (1985–99) using newly developed meteorological dataset. Simulated evapotranspiration, excluding Greenland Antarctica, ranges from 415 to 586 mm yr −1 (from 60 000 85 km 3 ), simulated runoff 290 457 42 66 ). Both mean median fractions lower than those models, although range wider. Significant differences between found be caused by snow scheme employed. The physically based energy approach used generally equivalent values conceptual degree-day models. Some evapotranspiration explained parameterizations, processes included parameterizations not distinct either or show that major source uncertainty. Climate change impact studies thus need use only multiple climate but also some other measure uncertainty (e.g., models).