CLIMATE ADAPTATION SCIENCE INVESTIGATION (CASI) AT NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER: USING THE TERRESTRIAL OBSERVATION AND PREDICTION SYSTEM (TOPS) TO ANALYZE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CALIFORNIA ECOSYSTEMS

摘要

The study of climate change is important because it is essential that potential problems are identified and mitigated in order to minimize their impact on NASA Ames in accordance with the NASA policy statement on adapting to climate change, and to help achieve the goals of the Climate Adaptation Science Investigation Team (CASI). This project analyzes results from the TOPS model which was run at 1km resolution for the time period 1950-2099 using downscaled GFDL climate projection data for the continental United States. The impacts of climate change on ecosystems are investigated in and around NASA Ames using the TOPS model under the A1B and A2 scenarios for California. The state data were divided into climate zones and watersheds, and for each zone a statistical analysis was completed for temperature, precipitation, gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), soil runoff, and vapor pressure deficit. The analysis in this report is limited to the climatology and ecology of the Coyote Watershed near NASA Ames Research Center. Trends produced from this analysis show changes in climate (annual rainfall, dry season length, temperature) and changes to ecosystem functions (GPP, ET, runoff) due to land cover changes.