The Mid-Atlantic Region and its climate: past, present, and future

Abstract

The physical and human geographies and the historical climate of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States are described to provide a baseline for an ongoing assessment of likely climate change impacts in the region. This region consists of 358 counties intersecting part or all of 8 states and 4 physiographic zones. This geographic diversity provides different sets of options for societies to adapt to environmental changes. Since 1967, the region's human population has grown in both number (19%) and income (116%), and important local ecosystems are experiencing associated stresses. Since 1895, the region's climate has become slightly warmer (+ 0.5C) and significantly wetter (+10%), although the warming has abated recently. Projections indicate that these broad regional socio-economic, ecological and climatic trends should persist through the 21st century. The significance of these changes in society, ecosystems and climate are evaluated in the more detailed, sectorspecific analyses in the subsequent articles of this Special.