Republic of

the Philippines
Central Luzon State University
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija 3120

ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
NARRATIVE REPORT
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
CENGR 3250 : HYDROLOGY

Submitted by:
AHR NICOLE B. PANGILINAN
BSCE 3-2
College of Engineering

Submitted to:
ENGR. JHOREEN JULIAN
Faculty, Department of Civil Engineering
 Date: March 24, 2023
NARRATIVE REPORT:
1. What is climate change?
Climate is often defined loosely as the average weather at a particular place,
incorporating such features as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and windiness. A more
specific definition would state that climate is the mean state and variability of these features over
some extended time period.
A change in the statistical characteristics of the climate system that lasts for several
decades or longer, typically at least 30 years, is referred to as climate change. Averages,
variability, and extremes are some of these statistical properties. Climate change can result from
both natural processes, such as variations in the Sun's radiation, volcanoes, or internal climate
variability, as well as human influences, like alterations in the atmosphere's composition or land
use. Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a
place. It could refer to a particular location or in the planet as a whole.

In the figure above, the temperature data showing rapid warming in the past few decades,
the latest data going up to 2022. According to NASA, 2016 and 2020 are tied for the warmest
year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. On top of that, the
nine most recent years have been the hottest.
The most extreme heat wave in world history is the best example of climate change,
according to Masters, J. (2022), Canada broke its all-time national temperature record on three
consecutive days at Lytton, British Columbia, which topped out at a stunning 49.6°C (121°F) on
June 29 – a day before the town burned down in a ferocious wildfire fed by the extreme heat.
The old Canadian heat record was 8°F cooler, 45.0°C (113°F) on July 5, 1937.
2. What are the causes of climate change?
Numerous variables that operate over timescales ranging from hours to hundreds of
millions of years have an impact on the climate. There are many factors outside of the Earth
system that contribute to climate change.
A. Petroleum-based products used in transportation
Fossil fuels are typically used to power cars,
trucks, ships, and aircraft. As a result, emissions of
greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, are
greatly influenced by the transportation industry.
Due to the internal combustion engines used in road
vehicles, which burn petroleum-based products like
gasoline, they make up the majority cause of
climate change.

B. Industrial manufacturer producing goods

Emissions from manufacturing and
industry are primarily the result of burning fossil
fuels to create the energy necessary to produce
goods like cement, iron, steel, electronics,
plastics, clothing, and other goods. Gases are
also released during mining, other industrial
processes, and construction activities. In
addition to some materials, like plastic, being
made from chemicals derived from fossil fuels,
many machines used in the manufacturing
process run on coal, oil, or gas. Globally, one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas
emissions is the manufacturing sector.

C. Deforestation and illegal logging

Cutting down forests to make way for farms, pastures, or for other purposes increases
emissions since when trees are cut, the stored carbon is released. According to United Nations,
an estimated 12 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually. Destruction of forests reduces
nature's capacity to keep emissions out of the atmosphere because they absorb carbon dioxide. A
 quarter of the world's
greenhouse gas emission that results to climate change are caused by deforestation.
Example of this is the Amazon, according to Steffen, A. (2019), the long-term effects will
see a gradual destabilization of the water cycle. This is because the Amazon’s main role at the
global level is maintaining the water cycle. Its waters, fed by evaporation, account for 20% of all
waters that empty into the oceans. As a result, modifying the water cycle risks losing the tropical
forest altogether. It also intensifies the extreme events that affect the river, like drought and
flooding. In the past 115 years, there have been six major floods in the Amazon.

D. Generation and consumption of too much power

Burning fossil fuels to produce
electricity and heat accounts for a
large portion of global emissions. Burning
coal, oil, or gas still produces the majority of
the world's electricity, which produces
carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, two potent
greenhouse gases that cover the planet and
trap the sun's heat. Private households are
also responsible for a significant portion of
the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Our
way of life has a significant impact on the
environment.

3. What are the impacts of climate change on the following hydrologic processes?
On Earth, the relationship between climate and water is very close. Both the climate and
water have an impact on one another. Every change in the climatic system causes an equal and
opposite change in the water system. In addition, a rise in temperature improves the atmosphere's
 ability to hold moisture, which
intensifies the hydrological cycle. Modifications in the seasonal distribution, intensity, and length
of precipitation as well as evapotranspiration are significant changes in the hydrological system.
Therefore, changes in water storage, surface runoff, soil moisture, and seasonal snow packs may
result from this.

3.1. Impact on Precipitation

Precipitation intensity and frequency can be impacted by climate change. Oceans that are
warmer cause more water to evaporate into the atmosphere. The potential effects of heavy
precipitation include crop damage, soil erosion, and an increase in flood risk due to heavy rains,
which in turn can lead to injuries, drownings, and other flooding-related effects on health. The
potential impacts of heavy precipitation include crop damage, soil erosion, and an increase in
flood risk due to heavy rains, which in turn can lead to injuries, drownings, and other flooding-
related effects on health. Additionally, because pollutants left on the land wash into water bodies
during precipitation, runoff can harm water quality.
It was indicated in the chart below the climate change impact on flood and extreme
precipitation increases with water availability.

River discharge is also affected by changes in precipitation. The expected effects of

climate change, however, differ greatly from region to region and are fraught with uncertainty.
For some areas, like northern In Europe, changes in the hydrological regime are anticipated to
lead to a different seasonal variation of annual discharge dynamics brought on, for example, by
earlier snowmelt and the replacement of snow with rain under rising temperatures.

3.2. Impact on Groundwater

 Groundwater storage
and flow play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle. When surface water is insufficiently
available, the sustainable use of renewable groundwater resources can help mitigate the effects of
water shortages by temporarily providing water for domestic and agricultural needs.
It is unclear exactly how climate change will affect groundwater. However, hydrologic
model uncertainty, groundwater recharge estimation uncertainty, and downscaling uncertainty
can all reinforce one another. Groundwater is generally very sensitive to climatic variation and
change. This is partly because of the effects of climate change, which include increased soil
surface evaporation, plant transpiration, and surface runoff, all of which will reduce the amount
of water that is still available for infiltration into the ground.

3.3. Impact on Evapotranspiration

The average global temperature is rising due to climate change, which also means that the
hydro-climatic system is containing more energy. The water cycle will eventually become more
intense and evapotranspiration will rise as a result.
Higher temperatures encourage the growth of bacteria and algae, which harms both
humans and aquatic ecology. The decrease in water's oxygen solubility with rising temperatures
has a detrimental impact on aquatic ecosystems' ecological integrity. When water stagnates in
rivers, lakes, and reservoirs with very shallow water levels due to low flow and drought
conditions, both effects are exacerbated, which has a severe negative effects on humans who
depend on surface water resources as well as aquatic communities. Shallow groundwater will
also experience an increase in salinity during recharge due to higher potential evapotranspiration
caused by a general rise in temperatures.

3.4. Impact on Floods and Streamflow

A essential resource for both people and the environment, streamflow measures the speed
at which water is carried by rivers and streams. The amount of water available for irrigation of
crops, producing electricity, and other uses, as well as the supply of drinking water, can all be
directly impacted by changes in streamflow. Additionally, for habitat and survival, a variety of
plants and animals rely on streamflow.
Streamflow can be impacted by climate change in a number of ways. The size and timing
of high spring streamflows can be changed by changes in the amount of snowpack in the spring
and air temperatures that affect melting. In some areas, higher average streamflow is anticipated
as a result of more precipitation, whereas larger peak flows may result from stronger storms.
However, more frequent or severe droughts might cause streamflow to decline in some areas.
Natural seasonal variations in streamflow can be observed. For instance, rivers and
streams in many areas of the nation flow at their highest during the spring snowmelt and at their
lowest during the late summer. The streamflow rate is crucial because extremely high flows can
 result in erosion and
destructive floods, while extremely low flows can deteriorate water quality, harm fish, and
reduce the amount of water that is available for human use.
References:
Masters, J. (2022). Yale Climate Connections. “The top 10 global weather and climate change
events of 2021.” Retrieved from https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/01/the-top-10-global-
weather-and-climate-change-events-of-2021/
United Nations (2023). “Causes and Effects of Climate Change.” Retrieved from
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change
Shaftel, H. (2023). NASA. “Scientific Consensus: Earth's Climate Is Warming.” Retrieved from
https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/
Steffen, A. (2019). Intelligent Livng. “Deforestation Affects The Entire Biosphere By
Destabilizing The Water Cycle.” Retrieved from https://www.intelligentliving.co/deforestation-
affects-entire-biosphere-destabilizing-water-cycle/