Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Environmental Stresses (heat, wind, flooding)
Precipitation, Temperature
Precipitation,
Evaporation
Temperature,
Stresses
Figure 9
An illustration of interactions among
systems related to climate change impacts
$$, DEMAND
WATER
WATER
$$, DEMAND
ELECTRIC POWER
$$, DEMAND
FOOD
Transportation Fuels
Regulation
$$
Economic Pressure
Indicators
GDP
GDP
$$, DEMAND
impact the distribution of demand for water, food, transportation fuels, utilization of
transportation systems and other infrastructure services (e.g., communications, health-
care, banking and finance).
These interdependencies can be illustrated by focusing on two infrastructure
sectors - transportation and energy - along with supplementary illustrations from other
key sectors.
Transportation
Transportation systems are the lifelines of the nation's economy. All modes of transpor-
tation - road, rail, air, water- rely to a greater or lesser extent on infrastructure, vehicles
and people to operate and manage them, energy for locomotion, and communications
to ensure safe and smooth travel flow. Wherever people are, water supply and waste-
water/drainage systems will be vital. Transportation services are located in the same
geographic area as other services; and, as climate stressors affect one infrastructure, they
are likely to affect transportation infrastructure and services as well.
Providing fuels and electricity is accomplished through the energy system which
transports raw materials to refineries and power plants, and transports the final prod-
ucts via transmissions lines, pipelines or trucks. Communications, too, are a critical part
of today's transportation network. Pilots in the air and sea, and train engineers must
communicate with centralized support for safe and smooth operation. Road travel de-
pends increasingly on intelligent transportation systems that employ advanced com-
munications equipment in traffic management centers, automatic vehicle identification,
synchronized signals, and electronic messaging signs. Subway and bus systems often
employ computerized vehicle control, vehicle locator and voice communications in
daily operations. Disruptions to any of these services will curtail transportation service
even if transportation infrastructure is not affected.
While these interactions are in effect everywhere in the country, they are more critical
in metropolitan areas where travel demand is much higher and greater population den-
sities require an extensive transportation infrastructure. Urban transportation networks
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