Impact of Climate Change on Extreme Floods in the Western United States

This research is directed at answering questions relating extreme floods to climate change. Does the paleoflood chronology in the western U.S. indicate increased frequency and magnitude during specific, long-term climate shifts, and do those floods correlate well with the long-term, streamflow record? To develop the chronology, this study will: (1) conduct paleoflood field studies, (2) utilize two geochronology techniques for validating age constraints of paleofloods, and (3) run hydraulic models to estimate the discharge of individual paleofloods. By combining these three methodologies, a robust paleoflood chronology can be developed that will reveal critical information about theoretical questions about extreme hydrologic responses to climate change. Further work will focus on implications for flood hydroclimatology and flood frequency analyses. Results from this study will be disseminated widely to various state and federal agencies, non-profit groups and floodplain managers