| Domain | Terrestrial | Description | River discharge measurements have essential direct applications for water management and related services, including flood protection. They are needed in the longer term to help identify and adapt to some of the most significant potential effects of climate change. The flow of fresh water from rivers into the oceans also needs to be monitored because it reduces ocean salinity, and changes in flow may thereby influence the thermohaline circulation. Data are needed for evaluating the working of the hydrological cycle in climate models and for use in the development and operation of flood- modelling components that are driven by or embedded within climate and shorter-term forecasting models, or will be in coming years. [GCOS-195 6.3.1] |