Remote profiling of lake ice thickness using a short pulse radar system aboard a C-47 aircraft

Design and operation of short pulse radar systems for use in ice thickness measurement are described. Two ice profiling systems were tested, an S system which used either random noise or continous wave modulation at 2.8 GHz and a less powerful C band system which operated at 6.0 GHz and did not have random noise modulation. Flight altitudes of 4,000 feet were used, but the S band system was usable at 7,000 feet allowing flights in poor weather conditions. A minimum ice thickness of four inches is required for measurement, while the thickest ice measured was 36 inches. System accuracy is plus or minus one inch

Review of Lake Diefenbaker Operations 2010-2011 : Centre for Hydrology Final Report to the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority

Saskatchewan Watershed AuthorityNon-Peer ReviewedAnalysis of the Lake Diefenbaker operation and hydrometeorological events of 2010-2011 suggests that minimum reservoir levels have been rising over time and were particularly high in the winter and spring of 2010-2011 resulting in a greater risk of high outflow events if predicted inflows were not accurate. Rules and policies for operating Gardiner Dam based on verified information and priority of operations to minimize cumulative risk were not in place to optimize dam operations after several mid winter events restricted outflows from the dam. Unfortunately inflows were underpredicted in 2011 due to underestimation of upstream snowpacks, inability to quantify ungauged inflows from prairie runoff, inadequate available information on upstream and local meteorological conditions, and reliance on statistical forecast procedures based on previous climate conditions. The impact of outflows on downstream areas was difficult to quantify because of an underestimation of outflows from the Coteau Creek hydroelectric station at Gardiner Dam and the lack of sufficient hydrometric stations downstream. Whilst water supply goals for the reservoir were met in the period, and downstream flood extent was cut in half; the acreage duration of flooding between Moon Lake and Saskatoon was not reduced by dam operation and the annual peak flow downstream on the Saskatchewan River was not reduced by dam operation. The overall evaluation of SWA operation of Lake Diefenbaker in light of the operational objectives understood at the time is that SWA forecasting staff did a superb job with the limited tools and resources, complex operating system and unspecified operating rules available to them

Hydrological effects of the temporal variability of the multiscaling of snowfall on the Canadian prairies

Daily historical snowfall data were analysed with the objective of determining the stability of their variability at short temporal scales. The data are weakly multifractal over periods shorter than one month, which controls their scaling properties and which can be used to statistically downscale monthly data to shorter-duration values. Although the daily snowfall values appear to be stationary, their multifractality displays much temporal variability, with most sites showing statistically-significant trends. Through use of a physically-based hydrological model, it is demonstrated that the variability of the multiscaling of snowfall can affect the timing and quantity of snow accumulation in catchments where the snowpacks are subject to wind redistribution. Therefore trends in scaling, based on multifractal characteristics, should be taken into account when downscaling climate model scenario outputs

Prediction of phenotype and gene expression for combinations of mutations

Molecular interactions provide paths for information flows. Genetic interactions reveal active information flows and reflect their functional consequences. We integrated these complementary data types to model the transcription network controlling cell differentiation in yeast. Genetic interactions were inferred from linear decomposition of gene expression data and were used to direct the construction of a molecular interaction network mediating these genetic effects. This network included both known and novel regulatory influences, and predicted genetic interactions. For corresponding combinations of mutations, the network model predicted quantitative gene expression profiles and precise phenotypic effects. Multiple predictions were tested and verified

Informing the Vermilion River Watershed Plan through Application of the Cold Regions Hydrological Model Platform

Prepared for Ducks Unlimited Canada and North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance.Non-Peer ReviewedThe Vermilion River Basin has been identified as one of most altered basins in the North Saskatchewan River Basin by the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. Of all the basin altering activities, wetland drainage is thought to be the most important one in impacting watershed hydrology. The Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) has had recent developments that make it particularly appropriate to evaluate the impacts of Canadian Prairie wetlands on hydrology. In light of the importance of wetlands in the Vermilion River Basin and the capability of CRHM, this study had five objectives: 1) Setup CRHM for the Vermilion River Basin and conduct preliminary tests using local meteorological data. 2) Develop an improved wetland module that incorporates the dynamics of drained wetland complexes in the physically based, modular Prairie Hydrological Model of CRHM. 3) Refine CRHM results using advances in the improved wetland module, additional parameter data and other adjustments as necessary. 4) Demonstrate scenarios/sensitivity of landscape components such as wetlands and uplands to support planning decisions and make recommendations for land and watershed management. 5) Apply CRHM results to fortify recommendations and support decision making during initial plan implementation. The objectives were addressed with the following methodology. Existing data on precipitation, hydrometeorology, wetland characteristics, stage and extent, drainage pattern and land cover in the Vermilion River Basin were compiled. The existing CRHM Prairie Hydrological Model formulation was set up on the basin and test runs conducted and compared to streamflow hydrographs over multiple years. Then, improvements to the Prairie Hydrological Model formulation of CRHM were made so that CRHM could simulate sequences of many wetlands of varying sizes. The improved model was evaluated through hydrological simulation and quantitative analysis of streamflow and then used in sensitivity analysis of the effect of changing wetland drainage/restoration on streamflow for the Vermilion River. The model was then used to evaluate wetland manipulation and climate scenarios to fortify recommendations, explore options and support decision making for the implementation of the Vermilion watershed plan. The streamflow response of the Vermilion River Basin at its mouth was found to be dominated by channel hydraulics and the control structures in the lower basin and so it is influenced by wetlands only to the extent that the management regime of these control structures is affected by upstream hydrological behaviour of the tributaries with respect to volume and timing of streamflow inputs to the structures. Changes in the upper basin streamflows are more likely to be controlled by changes in the basin hydrological processes rather than in-stream water management and/or channel modifications and therefore the upper basin streamflows are more likely to show the effects of the manipulation of wetland storage

Development of a Snowmelt Runoff Model for the Lower Smoky River

Prepared for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton.Non-Peer ReviewedThe Smoky River tributary of the Peace River has an ungauged (in real-time) basin area of 23,769 km2, corresponding to 46% of its basin area of 51,839 km2 . The purpose of this study was to develop a model to simulate the daily spring ungauged flows of the Smoky River and its main tributary, the Little Smoky River for recent periods using measured meteorological data and forecast periods using the outputs of a numerical weather forecast model. A physically-based model of the ungauged local flows contributing to the Smoky River at Watino and the Little Smoky River at Guy, the Lower Smoky River Model (LSRM), was developed using the CRHM platform. The model was deployed to 26 ungauged sub-basins, from which discharges were routed and accumulated to produce the ungauged discharges at Guy and Watino. The LSRM modelled discharge was evaluated to estimate the discharge of the Smoky River and Little Smoky River in an operational setting with measured meteorological observations. Results from this comparison were very good with a high degree of hydrograph predictability, small bias in flow estimation, and very good prediction of peak daily discharge and excellent prediction of the timing of peak daily discharge. The results were somewhat better for the Smoky River than for the Little Smoky River, showing the effect of increasing basin size in compensating for inadequate precipitation observation density and/or errors in model structure or parameterization. The model has not yet been tested in an operational setting during a spring snowmelt event and its full capabilities and usefulness cannot be assessed until it has been tested in such a setting