For this project, a series of climate simulations will be performed over the Northern Great Plains during the 1990s deluge period which will characterize wetlands for integration into a regional climate model environment. The characterization of wetlands will be accomplished by merging two disparate data sources: the National Wetlands Inventory compiled by the United States Fish and Wildlife service, and remotely-derived information on surface water coverage derived by the National Climatic Data Center. The series of 4-5 short, 10-day-to-one-month simulations will focus on significant rainfall periods at a range of model resolutions in the range of 10-80 km or lower over the Great Plains. These activities represent a first step in testing the hypothesis that wetland-dominated continental regions influence local and regional climates. This project has ramifications for climate change issues and is therefore expected to serve the climate science community and the general public. Limited educational impact arising from the work is anticipated.
