Climate-related change of snow contribution in the development of dangerous hydrological phenomenon on rivers

Abstract

Under current climate change the amount of snow plays a fundamental role in occurrence of hazardous hydrological events causing a steady growth in frequency of hazardous snow melt floods in mountain and piedmont areas in the south of Siberia and the Urals and coastal areas of the Far East. For these areas as well as for the Caucasus the following is also typical: greater influence of snow on occurrence of hazardous snow-rainfall floods, higher frequency of hazardous snowfalls and avalanching. Small amount of snow is one of the factors causing higher frequency of extreme lacks of water in summer low water periods on rivers of Asian Russia. On rivers of European Russia increased frequency of thaws and longer periods of snow melt reduce flood risk and enhance the role of snow in feeding underground waters to impede the growth in frequency of extreme lacks of water during low water periods