1 research outputs found
Understanding the environmental influence of anthropogenic and natural climate forcing on Hamilton Inlet and Lake Melville, Labrador
Recently, there has been growing interest in the climate variability in Newfoundland
and Labrador and its impact on the environment. The warming temperature
trend in the past two decades has driven changes in the ice thickness and characteristics
of surface inland and coastal ocean waters. In the Hamilton Inlet, these
changes are superimposed on the impact of hydroelectric development in Churchill
River. Studies of the characteristics of regional climate change and anthropogenic factors
are essential for understanding the environmental response. The main objective
of this study is to assess the characteristics of climate variability and anthropogenic
impact of recent hydroelectric development in Labrador.
The method of the study is based on statistical analysis of observations of atmospheric
and river flow characteristics. Decadal shifts in the distributions of the
temperature in Newfoundland and Labrador are determined by using Kernel Density
estimator. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen’s methods are then
applied then to determine the magnitude and significance of the trends.
The first part of the study is focused on characteristics of seasonal, interannual and
decadal variability of atmospheric temperature, precipitation, rain, snow and wind
speed, and their spatial variations. We found in particular, that the multidecadal
trend of atmospheric temperature was negative between 1970 and 1993 and changed
to positive in the following period. The magnitude of this trend and its spatial
variation across the province is assessed.
The second part of the study presents results from an analysis of extremes of
regional climate characteristics. Climate extremes are identified by calculating the 90th/10th percentiles of minimum and maximum daily temperature, which correspond
to extreme warm/cold events; the 90th percentile was also calculated for total
precipitation, snow and rain, to study extreme precipitation events.
The final part of the study examines the relationship between climate indices
and river discharge in Churchill River in Labrador. Here, river discharge volume is
analyzed in the context of different climate conditions, before and after hydroelectric
development in upper Churchill River