Streamflow, as an integrative process over the land surface, is an ideal parameter against which to validate terrestrial ecosystem model output. I used ArcView GIS and Microsoft Access as organizing tools for displaying and querying data. These types of analyses are critical to enhancing our understanding of the interactions among changing land cover, hydrology, and climate, and will lead to better representation of these interactions in global climate models. Introduction My dissertation research comprises, in part, an effort to validate climate model output using hydrological data. Simulations are being run for the 20 th century using baseline data and for the 21 st century based on scenarios derived from at least two climate models.
Monthly runoff is among the output variables from the models.
Because runoff can serve as a proxy for many interesting and complex processes, it is a useful variable against which to evaluate the output of modeling exercises. Moreover, streamflow records for the US exist for much of the 20 th century, and these data are readily accessible. Finally, water is a resource very much in demand and projections of future surface water availability are vital to planners and managers. The potential effect of climate change on the water resources of the U.S. is of critical societal importance. Of direct relevance to the management of water resources are questions regarding how different climatic regimes affect the spatial and temporal distribution of the water balance.