Influence of the hydrological cycle on climate variability and change

Abstract

The importance of water on earth cannot be underestimated. Water is transported throughout the whole Earths climate system and affects every constituent along the way. The climate and hydrological systems on earth are delicately interconnected forming a complex feedback loop. Amendments in any one system unavoidably trigger changes in the other. Witnessed climate changes, along with anticipation from climate models, indicate strengthening of these shifts in future. Global warming has capability to modify the hydrological cycle in multifaceted manner accommodating increased latent heat flux and enhanced formation of cloud which lead to intense and frequent precipitation events like storms, floods and droughts. These incidents have increased focus in recent years due to their appreciable socio-economic impacts. Are all natural calamities be solely attributed to atmospheric alteration effects? This question usually arises in the perspective of reviewing literature on climate change and its impact. This article reviews the components of hydrological cycle and effect of climate change on hydrological cycle.