Landscape structure and use,climate, and water movement in the Mekong River basin |
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| Authors: | Mariza C Costa‐Cabral Jeffrey E Richey Gopi Goteti Dennis P Lettenmaier Christoph Feldkötter Anond Snidvongs |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;2. School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;3. Mekong River Commission Secretariat, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane 01000, Lao PDR;4. South‐east Asia START Global Change Regional Centre, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand |
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| Abstract: | In this article the relative roles of precipitation and soil moisture in influencing runoff variability in the Mekong River basin are addressed. The factors controlling runoff generation are analysed in a calibrated macro‐scale hydrologic model, and it is demonstrated that, in addition to rainfall, simulated soil moisture plays a decisive role in establishing the timing and amount of generated runoff. Soil moisture is a variable with a long memory for antecedent hydrologic fluxes that is influenced by soil hydrologic parameters, topography, and land cover type. The influence of land cover on soil moisture implies significant hydrologic consequences for large‐scale deforestation and expansion of agricultural land. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | land cover and use change runoff and stream‐flow south‐east Asia Mekong River basin macro‐scale hydrologic model soil moisture antecedent conditions |
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