Response of bankfull flood magnitudes to Holocene climate change, Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah

Bulletin of the Geological Society of America

Volumn 119, Issue 9-10, 2007, Pages 1066-1078

  Carson, Eric C ^a,b   Knox, James C ^b   Mickelson, David M ^b  

^a San Jacinto College   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON   (United States)

Author keywords

Climate; Floods; Holocene; Medieval climatic anomaly; Subalpine; Uinta Mountains

Indexed keywords

BANKFULL DISCHARGES; BANKFULL FLOOD MAGNITUDE; HOLOCENE;

BANKS (BODIES OF WATER); CLIMATE CHANGE; DISCHARGE (FLUID MECHANICS); FLOODS; SOLAR RADIATION; TEMPERATURE;

LANDFORMS;

CLIMATE CHANGE; FLOOD; FLOODPLAIN; HOLOCENE; SUBALPINE ENVIRONMENT; TEMPORAL VARIATION;

NORTH AMERICA; ROCKY MOUNTAINS; UINTA MOUNTAINS; UNITED STATES;

EID: 34648825198     PISSN: 00167606     EISSN: 00167606     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1130/B25916.1     Document Type: Article

References (80)

1. Atwood, W.W., 1909, Glaciation of the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 61, 96 p.
2. Baker, F.S., and Hauge, A.G., 1913, Report on the operation of the Standard Timber Company on the Uinta National Forest, 1912-1913: Uinta National Forest. Salt Lake City, Utah: U.S. Forest Service, 32 p.
3. Baker, R.G., Bettis, E.A., III, Denniston, R.F., Gonzalez, L.A., Strickland, L.E., and Krieg, J.R., 2002, Holocene paleoenvironments in southeastern Minnesota - Chasing the prairie-forest ecotone: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 177, p. 103-122, doi: 10.1016/S0031-0182(01)00354-6.
4. Baker, V.R., 1987, Paleoflood hydrology and extraordinary flood events, in Kirby, W.H., et al., eds., Analysis of extraordinary flood events: Journal of Hydrology, v. 96, p. 79-99.
5. Baker, V.R., 2003, Paleofloods and extended discharge records, in Gregory, K.J., and Benito, G., eds., Palaeohydrology: Understanding global change: London, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., p. 307-323.
6. Baker, V.R., Webb, R.H., and House, P.K., 2001, The scientific and societal value of paleoflood hydrology, in House, P.K., et al., eds., Ancient floods, modern hazards: Principles and applications of paleoflood hydrology: American Geophysical Union Water Science and Application Series Volume 5, p. 1-20.
7. Balling, R., and Lawson, M., 1982, Twentieth-century changes in winter climatic regions: Climatic Change, v. 4, p. 57-69.
8. Barry, R.G., Kiladis, G., and Bradley, R.S., 1981, Synoptic climatology of the western United States in relation to climatic fluctuations during the twentieth century: Journal of Climate, v. 1, p. 97-113, doi: 10.1002/ joc.3370010202.
9. Bartlein, P.J., 1982, Streamflow anomaly patterns in the U.S.A. and southern Canada, 1951-1970: Journal of Hydrology, v. 57, p. 49-63, doi: 10.1016/0022-1694(82)90102-0.
10. Bartlein, P.J., Webb, T., III, and Fleri, E., 1984, Holocene climatic change in the northern Midwest: Pollen-derived estimates: Quaternary Research, v. 22, p. 361-374, doi: 10.1016/0033-5894(84)90029-2.
11. Bradley, R., Diaz, H., Eischeid, J., Jones, P., Kelly, P., and Goodess, C., 1987, Precipitation fluctuations over Northern Hemisphere land areas since the mid-19th century: Science, v. 237, p. 171-175, doi: 10.1126/ science.237.4811.171.
12. Bradley, W.H., 1936, Geomorphology of the north flank of the Uinta Mountains: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 185-I, p. 163-199.
13. Carson, E.C., 2003, Fluvial responses to environmental change, Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah [Ph.D. thesis]: Madison, University of Wisconsin, 482 p.
14. Carson, E.C., 2005, Fluvial geomorphology and hydrology of the sub-alpine streams of the Uinta Mountains, in Dehler, C., et al., eds., Uinta Mountain geology: Utah Geological Association Publication 33, p. 171-187.
15. Carson, E.C., 2006, Hydrologic modeling of flood conveyance and impacts of historic overbank sedimentation on West Fork Black's Fork, Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah, USA: Geomorphology, v. 75, p. 368-383, doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2005.07.022.
16. Carson, E.C., and Munroe, J.S., 2005, Tree-ring-based streamflow reconstruction for Ashley Creek, northeastern Utah, U.S.A.: Implications for paleohydrology of the southern Uinta Mountains: The Holocene, v. 15, p. 602-611, doi: 10.1191/0959683605h1835rp.
17. Cook, E.R., Woodhouse, C.A., Eakin, M.C., Meko, D.M., and Stahle, D.W., 2004, Long-term aridity in the western United States: Science, v. 306, p. 1015-1018, doi: 10.1126/science.1102586.
18. Costa, J.E., 1978, Holocene stratigraphy of flood-frequency analysis: Water Resources Research, v. 4, p. 626-632.
19. Diaz, H., and Quayle, R., 1980, The climate of the United States since 1895, spatial and temporal changes: Monthly Weather Review, v. 108, p. 249-266, doi: 10.1175/1520-0493(1980)108<0249:TCOTUS>2.0.CO;2.
20. Dury, G.H., 1974, Magnitude-frequency analysis and channel morphology, in Morisawa, M., ed., Fluvial geomorphology: State University of New York Publications in Geomorphology, p. 91-121.
21. Dury, G.H., 1976, Discharge prediction, present and former, from channel dimensions: Journal of Hydrology, v. 30, p. 219-245, doi: 10.1016/ 0022-1694(76)90102-5.
22. Ely, L.L., 1992, Large floods in the Southwestern United States in relation to late-Holocene climatic variations [Ph.D. thesis]: Tucson, University of Arizona, 326 p.
23. Ely, L.L., 1997, Response of extreme floods in the Southwestern United States to climatic variations in the late Holocene: Geomorphology, v. 19, p. 175-201, doi: 10.1016/S0169-555X(97)00014-7.
24. Ely, L.L., and Baker, V.R., 1985, Reconstructing paleoflood hydrology with slackwater deposits; Verde River, Arizona: Physical Geography, v. 6, p. 103-126.
25. Ely, L.L., Webb, R.H., and Enzel, Y., 1992, Accuracy of post-bomb (super 137) Cs and (super 14) C in dating fluvial deposits: Quaternary Research, v. 38, p. 196-204.
26. Ely, L.L., Enzel, Y., Baker, V.R., and Cayan, D.R., 1993, A 5000-year record of extreme floods and climate change in the Southwestern United States: Science, v. 262, p. 410-412, doi: 10.1126/science.262.5132.410.
27. Enzel, Y., 1992, Flood frequency of the Mojave River and the formation of the late Holocene playa lakes, southern California, U.S.A.: The Holocene, v. 2, p. 11-18.
28. Fall, P.L., Davis, P.T., and Zielinski, G.A., 1995, Late Quaternary vegetation and climate of the Wind River Range, Wyoming: Quaternary Research, v. 43, p. 393-404.
29. Feller, E.J., Anderson, R.S., and Koehler, P.A., 1997, Late Quaternary paleoenvironments of the White River Plateau, Colorado, U.S.A: Arctic and Alpine Research, v. 29, p. 53-62, doi: 10.2307/1551836.
30. Hansen, E., and Schwartz, F., 1981, Meteorology of important rain-storms in the Colorado River and Great Basin drainages: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hydrometeorological Report 50, 167 p.
31. Hansen, W.R., 1969, The geologic story of the Uinta Mountains: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1291, 144 p.
32. Hirschboeck, K.K., 1985, Hydroclimatology of flow events in the Gila River Basin, central and southern Arizona [Ph.D. thesis]: Tucson, University of Arizona, 335 p.
33. House, P.K., Pearthree., P.A., and Klawon, J.E., 2001, Historical flood and paleoflood chronology of the Lower Verde River, Arizona: Strarigrapltic evidence and related uncertainties, in House, P.K., et al., eds., Ancient floods, modern hazards: Principles and applications of paleoflood hydrology: American Geophysical Union Water Science and Application Series Volume 5, p. 295-310.
34. Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data, 1986, Guidelines for determining flood flow frequency: Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data, Hydrology Subcommittee, Bulletin 17B, 28 p.
35. Jarrett, R.D., 1990, Paleohydrologic techniques used to define the spatial occurrence of floods: Geomorphology, v. 3, p. 181-195, doi: 10.1016/0169-555X(90)90044-Q.
36. Knox, J.C., 1984, Fluvial responses to small scale climate changes, in Costa, J.E., and Fleisher, P.J., eds., Developments and applications of geomorphology: Berlin, Springer-Verlag, p. 318-342.
37. Knox, J.C., 1985, Responses of floods to Holocene climatic change in the Upper Mississippi Valley: Quaternary Research, v. 23, p. 287-300.
38. Knox, J.C., 1993, Large increases in flood magnitude in response to modest changes in climate: Nature, v. 361, p. 430-432, doi: 10.1038/ 361430a0.
39. Knox, J.C., 1999, Long-term episodic changes in magnitudes and frequencies of floods in the Upper Mississippi River Valley, in Brown, A.G., and Quine, T.A., eds., Fluvial processes and environmental change: New York, John Wiley & Sons, p. 255-282.
40. Knox, J.C., 2000, Sensitivity of modern and Holocene floods to climate change: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 19, p. 439-457, doi: 10.1016/ S0277-3791(99)00074-8.
41. Knox, J.C., and Daniels, J.M., 2001, Watershed scale and the stratigrapinc record of large floods, in House, P.K., et al., eds., Ancient floods, modern hazards: Principles and applications of paleoflood hydrology: American Geophysical Union Water Science and Application Series Volume 5, p. 237-255.
42. Kochel, R.C., and Baker, V.R., 1982, Paleoflood hydrology: Science, v. 215, p. 353-361, doi: 10.1126/science.215.4531.353.
43. Kochel, R.C., and Baker, V.R., 1988, Paleoflood analysis using slackwater deposits, in Baker, V. R., et al., eds., Flood geomorphology: New York, John Wiley & Sons, p. 357-376.
44. Kochel, R.C., Baker, V.R., and Patton, P.C., 1982, Paleohydrology of southwestern Texas: Water Resources Research, v. 18, p. 1165-1183.
45. Kutzbach, J.E., 1981, Monsoon climate of the early Holocene; climate experiment with the Earth's orbital parameters for 9000 years ago: Science, v. 214, p. 59-61, doi: 10.1126/science.214.4516.59.
46. Kutzbach, J.E., and Ruddiman, W.F., 1993, Model description, external forcing, and surface boundary conditions, in Wright, J., et al., eds., Global climates since the Last Glacial Maximum: Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, p. 12-23.
47. Laabs, B., and Carson, E., 2005, Glacial geology of the southern Uinta Mountains, in Dehler, C., et al., eds., Uinta Mountain geology: Utah Geological Association Publication 33, p. 235-253.
48. Maddox, R., Canova, F., and Hoxit, L., 1980, Meteorological characteristics of flash flood events over the western United States: Monthly Weather Review, v. 108, p. 1866-1877, doi: 10.1175/ 1520-0493(1980)108<1866: MCOFFE>2.0.CO;2.
49. Madole, R.F., 1994, Stratigraphic evidence of desertification in the west-central Great Plains within the past 1000 yr.: Geology, v. 22, p. 483-486.
50. McQuirk, I., 1982, A century of precipitation variability along the Pacific coast of the North America and its impact: Climatic change, v. 4, p. 41-56.
51. Meyer, G., Wells, S., Balling, R., Jr., and Jull, A., 1992, Response of alluvial systems to fire and climate change in Yellowstone National Park: Nature, v. 357, p. 147-150.
52. Meyer, G., Wells, S., and Jull, A., 1995, Fire and alluvial chronology in Yellowstone National Park; climatic and intrinsic controls on Holocene geomorphic processes: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 107, p. 1211-1230, doi: 10.1130/ 0016-7606(1995)107<1211:FAACIY>2.3.CO;2.
53. Mitchell, V.R., 1976, The regionalization of climate in the Western United States: Journal of Applied Meteorology, v. 15, p. 920-927, doi: 10.117511520-0450(1976)015<0920:TROCIT>2.0.CO;2.
54. Munroe, J.S., 2002, Timing of post-glacial cirque reoccupation in the northern Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah, U.S.A: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, v. 34, p. 38-48, doi: 10.2307/1552507.
55. Munroe, J.S., 2003, Holocene timberline and palaeoclimate of the northern Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah, USA: The Holocene, v. 13, p. 175-185, doi: 10.1191/0959683603h1600rp.
56. Munroe, J., 2005, Glacial geology of the northern Uinta Mountains, in Dehler, C., et al., eds., Uinta Mountain geology: Utah Geological Association Publication 33, p. 215-234.
57. Munroe, J.S., and Laidlaw, J., 2002, A 5000-year record of fire and sedimentary response for the Uinta Mountains, northeastern Utah: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 34, no. 6, p. 469.
58. O'Connor, J.E., Ely, L.L., Wohl, E.E., Stevens, L.E., Melis, T.S., Kale, V.S., and Baker, V.R., 1994, A 4500-year record of large floods on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona: Journal of Geology, v. 102, p. 1-9.
59. Pyke, C., 1972, Some meteorological aspects of the seasonal distribution of precipitation in the western United States and Baja California: University of California Water Resources Center Contribution 139, 205 p.
60. Redmond, K., Enzel, Y., House, P., and Biondi, F., 2002, Climate variability and flood frequency at decadal to millennial scales, in House, P., et al., eds, Ancient floods, modern hazards: Principles and applications of paleoflood hydrology: American Geophysical Union Water Science and Application Series Volume 5, p. 21-45.
61. Richmond, G.M., 1965, Glaciation of the Rocky Mountains, in Wright, H.E., Jr., and Frey, D.G., eds., The Quaternary of the United States: Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, p. 217-230.
62. Schmidt, J., Smelser, M., Stamp, M., and Gaeuman, D., 2005, Channel adjustment in response to surface-water development in the Duchesne River watershed, in Dehler, C., et al., eds., Uinta Mountain geology: Utah Geological Association Publication 33, p. 189-204.
63. Sears, J.W., Graff, P.J., and Holden, G.S., 1982, Tectonic evolution of lower Proterozoic rocks, Uinta Mountains, Utah and Colorado: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 93, p. 990-997, doi: 10.1130/ 0016-7606(1982)93<990:TEOLPR>2.0.CO;2.
64. Shaw, C.G., and Julin, K.R., 1997, Assessments of wildlife viability, old-growth timber volume estimates, forested wetlands, and slope stability: Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PNW 65 p.
65. Stine, S., 1990, Late Holocene fluctuations of Mono Lake, eastern California: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 78, p. 333-381, doi: 10.1016/0031-0182(90)90221-R.
66. Stine, S., 1994, Extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during Mediaeval time: Nature, v. 369, p. 546-549, doi: 10.1038/369546a0.
67. Stine, S., 1998, Medieval climatic anomaly in the Americas, in Issar, A.S., and Brown, N., eds., Water, environment and society in times of climatic change: Dordrecht, Netherlands, Kluwer Academic, p. 43-67.
68. Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Beck, J.W., Burr, G.S., Hughan, K.A., Kromer, B., and McCormac, G., van der Plicht, J., and Spurk, M., 1998, INTCAL98 radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000-0 cal BP: Radiocarbon, v. 40, p. 1041-1083.
69. Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J., and Reimer, R.W., 2002, CALIB 4.4: http:// www.calib.org.
70. Swanston, D.N., and Swanson, F.J., 1976, Timber harvesting, mass erosion, and steepland forest geomorphology in the Pacific Northwest, in Coates, D.R., ed., Geomorphology and engineering: Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc., p. 199-221.
71. Thompson, R.S., Whitlock, C., Bartlein, P.J., Harrison, S.P., and Spaulding, W.G., 1993, Climatic changes in the Western United States since 18,000 yr B.P, in Wright, H.E., Jr., et al., eds., Global climates since the last glacial maximum.: Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, p. 468-513.
72. van Heeswijk, M., Kimball, J.S., and Marks, D., 1996, Simulation of water available for runoff in clearcut forest openings during rain-on-snow events in the eastern Cascade Range of Oregon and Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4219, 67 p.
73. Webb, R.H., O'Connor, J.E., and Baker, V.R., 1988, Paleohydrologic reconstruction of flood frequency on the Escalante River, south-central Utah, in Baker, V.R., et al., eds., Flood geomorphology: New York, John Wiley & Sons, p. 403.
74. Webb, T.W., III, Ruddiman, W.F., Street-Perrott, F.A., Markgraf, V., Kutzbach, J.E., Bartlein, P.J., Wright, J.H.E., and Prell, W.L., 1993, Climatic change during the past 18,000 years: Regional syntheses, mechanisms, and causes, in Wright, J., et al., eds., Global climate since the Last Glacial Maximum: Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, p. 514-535.
75. Wharton, G., 1992, Flood estimation from channel size; guidelines for using the channel-geometry method: Applied Geography, v. 12, p. 339-359, doi: 10.1016/0143-6228 (92)90013-D.
76. Wharton, G., Arnell, N.W., Gregory, K.J., and Gurnell, A.M., 1989, River discharge estimated from channel dimensions: Journal of Hydrology, v. 106, p. 365-376, doi: 10.1016/0022-1694(89)90080-2.
77. Whitlock, C., and Bartlein, P.J., 1993, Spatial variations of Holocene climatic change in the Yellowstone region: Quaternary Research, v. 39, p. 231-238.
78. Winkler, M., Swain, A., and Kutzbach, J., 1986, Middle Holocene dry period in the northern Midwestern United States; lake levels and pollen stratigraphy: Quaternary Research, v. 25, p. 235-250.
79. Wolman, M.G., and Leopold, L.B., 1957, River flood plains; some observations on their formation: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 282-C, p. 87-109.
80. Woodhouse, C.A., Gray, S.T., and Meko, D.M., 2006, Updated streamflow reconstructions for the Upper Colorado River Basin: Water Resources Research, v. 42, W05415, doi: 10.1029/2005WR004455.