CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Clair, T.A.; Ehrman, J.; and Higuchi, K.
Date : 2000.
Title : Changes to the runoff of Canadian ecozones under a doubled CO2 atmosphere
Publication : Annual Meeting of the Society of Canadian Limnologists, 6-8 January 2000, Lord Beaverbrook Hotel, Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
Increases in atmospheric Greenhouse Gases, may change the hydrology of a number of the country's regions. This will have an impact on aquatic and wetland ecosystems as well as municipal, industrial and power generation uses. It is thus important to get an estimate of the potential changes to the Canadian hydrological cycle, in order to make intelligent decisions concerning mitigation factors which society may be forced to undertake. We divided Canada into eco-climatologically similar regions called "Ecozones". We developed two month-stepped temperature-precipitation-runoff models for the country using an artificial intelligence, neural network (ANN) approach. We modified input temperature and precipitation variables in the ANN models, to match those predicted by the Canadian Climate Centre General Circulation Model II for a doubled CO2 atmosphere and calculated new monthly equilibrium runoff predictions. Our results predict that much of Canada will experience higher annual runoff than is currently the case. The timing of runoff will change significantly in a number of the ecozones as we show that in many regions, peak runoff will occur approximately one month earlier than is currently the case. The ANN model did not work as well for basins in the Prairie ecozone, as we could not develop a good model with data from regulated rivers.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology