Climate change impact assessment of extreme precipitation on urban flash floods – case study, Aarhus, Denmark

Henrik Madsen, Maria Antonia Sunyer Pinya, Dan Rosbjerg, Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Nina Donna St. Domingo

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    Abstract

    Climate change is expected to cause more intense extreme rainfall events, which will have a severe impact on the risk of flash floods in urban areas. An assessment study was performed for the city of Aarhus, Denmark, analysing different methods of statistical downscaling of climate model projections for estimation of changes in extreme rainfall characteristics. Climate model projections from 20 regional climate models (RCM) from the ENSEMBLES data archive were used in the analysis. Two different estimation methods were applied, using, respectively, a direct estimation of the changes in the extreme value statistics of the RCM data, and application of a stochastic weather generator fitted to the changes in rainfall characteristics from the RCM data. The results show a large variability in the projected changes in extreme precipitation between the different RCMs and the two estimation methods considered. Urban flooding in Aarhus was simulated with a model that dynamically couples a hydraulic model of the drainage system and a 2D overland flow model. Scenarios representing current and future climate including uncertainties in the climate projections were analysed using synthetic design storms derived from the estimated intensity-duration-frequency curves.
    Original languageEnglish
    Publication date2012
    Number of pages1
    Publication statusPublished - 2012
    EventEGU Topical Meeting: Floods and climate - GFZ Helmholtz Centre, Potsdam, Germany
    Duration: 4 Oct 20125 Oct 2012

    Conference

    ConferenceEGU Topical Meeting: Floods and climate
    LocationGFZ Helmholtz Centre
    Country/TerritoryGermany
    CityPotsdam
    Period04/10/201205/10/2012

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