Sustainable assessment of global inland lakes using terrestrial water circulation model

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H04585
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Hydraulic engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Touge Yoshiya 東北大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (90761536)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 梅田 信 日本大学, 工学部, 准教授 (10447138) ; 風間 聡 東北大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (50272018) ; 小森 大輔 東北大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (50622627) ; 三戸部 佑太 東北学院大学, 工学部, 准教授 (60700135)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 閉鎖性内陸湖 / 陸域水循環モデル / 灌漑 / 人間活動 / 衛星解析 / 気候変動 / 中央アジア / 東アフリカ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study addressed the change of endorheic inland lakes. The hydrological analysis was conducted for "a cause of the change," and field surveys and observations were for "environmental impacts resulting from the change."
In the terrestrial water circulation model, we performed a water circulation analysis considering climate change and human activities in the whole basin. The model could show that the water level of Lake Turkana was displaced to different levels before and after the low rainfall period around the year 2000. In addition to surveying the damage caused by the water level change in the surrounding area, meteorological observations and in situ measurements of soil moisture were conducted. Satellite monitoring of actual irrigated areas was also conducted, and the impacted area by severe drought in 2001 was accurately detected in the Aral Sea basin.

Free Research Field

水文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

大陸性内陸湖は流出河川を持たず，流入河川からの水量と湖面からの蒸発量との均衡により水位が決定する．そのため，流域内の気候変動・人間活動の影響で水位が鋭敏に変化することから，しばしば周辺で環境・防災上の問題となる．その変化の原因を解明し予測することは科学的・社会的に重要な課題であることから，本研究では各内陸湖を水位変化の進行度から区分するための数値解析手法の確立と環境調査を実施した．