The 11th annual Western Canada CGU Hydrology Section student conference will be held at the University of Saskatchewan on February 11th, 2012.
Abstracts (max 250 words) are invited for oral presentations by CGU members, by January 25th, 2012.
More information about the event - including details of how to submit your abstract - is available here
The Centre for Hydrology is inviting applications for a number of new research studentships and fellowships, funded by the University of Saskatchewan's Global Institute for Water Security.
Opportunities are available at MSc, PhD and Post-Doctorate level, in
- Snow hydrology in the Canadian Rockies
- Prairie agricultural hydrology.
Two items of CH-related news from the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, December, 2011:
Dr Phil Marsh, an Adjunct Professor in the Centre for Hydrology, and Research Scientist and Project Chief in Environment Canada, was honoured by the American Geophysical Union as author of one of the top 5 papers in the journal Water Resources Research.
Marsh and co-author Dr Lance Lesack from Simon Fraser University received this award for their article entitled River-to-lake connectivities, water renewal, and aquatic habitat diversity in the Mackenzie River Delta.
Nicholas Kinar, who was named in July as winner of the prestigious Horton Research Grant, was formally recognized by the AGU at its Hydrology Section Luncheon at. Together with Prof. John Pomeroy, Nicholas presented a poster at the meeting entitled Acoustic Imaging and Analysis of Snowpack Physical Properties.
The Centre for Hydrology and Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences will again be holding their popular short course in Physical Principles of Hydrology in the Kananaskis Valley, Alberta, from March 1-12, 2012.
The course is intended for hydrology and water resources graduate students and early to midlevel career water resource engineers, hydrologists, aquatic ecologists and technologists from Canada who are either working directly in hydrology and water resources or are looking to broaden their understanding of hydrological systems and processes.
Factors governing hydrological processes within the context of distinctly Canadian landscape features will be discussed. Students will be exposed to an overview of each subject, with recent scientific findings and new cutting edge theories, tools and techniques, through a combination of classroom sessions at the University of Calgary’s Biogeoscience Institute’s Barrier Lake Station, and fieldwork at the Marmot Creek Research Basin.
Students will emerge from the course with a deeper understanding of physical hydrological processes and how they interact to produce catchment water budgets and streamflow response, together with state-of-the-art field instrumentation and measurement techniques.
More information is available here, or from Dr Chris Spence or Dr John Pomeroy
Andrew Ireson, Assistant Professor in Subsurface Hydrology with the School of Environment and Sustainability and the Global Institute for Water Security, is keen to hear from grad. students who may be interested in participating in an Invitational Drought Tournament.
This is a game in which students from U of Alberta, U of Regina and U of Saskatchewan will form multi-disciplinary teams, consisting of approximately five players. Having chosen their initial conditions or 'preparedness strategies', teams will be guided through a simulated multi-year drought scenario of unknown length and severity, throughout which they will work collaboratively to discuss and select adaptation options that should help them better prepare for, adapt to, respond to, and recover from the drought’s impacts. The chosen strategies should maximize economic benefits and reduce social and ecological stress. More details are given here, in a description of a similar tournament held last year.
The game will take place in late February / early March of 2012. At this stage, Andrew is looking to find out who is interested in participating. This is all about decision-making under pressure, with finite resources, focusing on minimizing environmental impacts of droughts, which are one of the most expensive, devastating natural disasters in the Canadian prairies (billion dollar impacts). It should also be great fun – it’s a game after all. If you think you would like to take part, or if you have any questions or comments please get in touch with Andrew.
In his GIWS-sponsored presentation of October 7 2011, Northern Voices, Southern Choices: Water policy lessons for Saskatchewan drawn from leading Canadian and international examples, Bob Sandford, EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of the UN Water for Life Decade, made a strong case for the need for new thinking on water strategies for Saskatchewan. Major pressures are already being felt as a result of a combination of effects, including climate change, increased water use, and other environmental pressures, and these are likely only to intensify.
The StarPhoenix included a synopsis of the lecture on 8 October 2011, available here, and Bob was interviewed by CBC TV.
The Centre for Hydrology is pleased to present a hydrology seminar by Muluneh Mekonnen, IP3 Post-Doc, from 12:30 to 1:15pm on Friday 7 October 2011, in AGRI 1E69, entitled IP3's combined top-down and bottom-up modelling approach using MESH and CRHM as complementary modelling platforms
The IP3 (Improving Processes and Parameterization for Prediction in Cold Regions Hydrology) network came to a successful end in September 2011, leaving a legacy of extensive cold regions processes, parameterization and prediction research work.
IP3’s strategic goal was to attain a more comprehensive physical description of cold regions processes and parameterizations, at regional and smaller scales, for improved prediction within hydrological and hydro-meteorological models such as the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) and the Community Environmental Hydrology Land-Surface modelling system, known as MESH.
This seminar presents an application of the combined top-down and bottom-up hydrological modelling approach, using MESH and CRHM as complementary modelling platforms, for the South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB) and the Upper Assiniboine River Basin (UARB). In addition to cold regions processes, the SSRB and UARB are characterized by the prairie pothole topography that brings in the additional complexity of shrinking and expanding horizontal flow contributing areas.
The seminar will highlight two key points:
1) How to build a model with relatively minimal complexity whose prediction is commensurate with observations, and
2) How to use the Grouped Response Units approach for physically based parameter regionalization.
Feel free to bring your lunch!
The Global Institute for Water Security is pleased to present a lecture by Bob Sandford, EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of the UN Water for Life Decade, on October 7, 2011.
The lecture, entitled Northern Voices, Southern Choices: Water policy lessons for Saskatchewan drawn from leading Canadian and international examples will begin at 1:45 pm in Room 144 Kirk Hall.
The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Howard Wheater (Global Institute for Water Security and SENS), Patricia Gober (Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy), and John Pomeroy (Centre for Hydrology and Department of Geography and Planning). More details here.
Centre for Hydrology alumni Nathalie Brunet and Ross Phillips have been taking part in an epic 7000km trans-national adventure, taking them from Vancouver BC to Saint John NB.
Travelling since April, largely by canoe, sometimes by bike (with boats trailered), and even portaging through high mountains on snowshoes, they hope to arrive on the right-hand side of the country sometime over the next few weeks.
The trek was awarded a $25,000 Expedition of the Year grant from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and is also receving funding from the RBC Blue Water Project.
They are hoping to use the trip to raise awareness of the importance of Canada’s freshwater resources, and to draw attention to the work done by both the Canadian Heritage River System and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Details of the trip are updated regularly on the team's blog / website: they were also interviewed in Ottawa by the CBC.
Congratulations to Centre for Hydrology PhD student, Nicholas Kinar, who is one of two recipients of the American Geophysical Union Horton Research Grant in 2011.
There were 70 applicants for the grant, so it is a very prestigious award and will contribute to Nicholas’ research on acoustic imaging of snowpacks.
The AGU will recognize Nicholas at its Hydrology Section Luncheon at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California Dec 5-9 2011.
The full press release from the AGU is available here
With funding for the IP3 network - which has been headquartered at CH - to end in September 2011, a series of workshops has been scheduled to share final results with the larger cold regions hydrology and water resources communities. These will focus on the advances made by the network in scientific understanding and modelling capability.
Program of Events:
Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) Training Course
Wednesday September 7th, 9am to 5pm
Advance registration required: participation limited to a maximum of 30 people.
MEC, Surface and Hydrology (MESH) / Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) Training Course
Thursday September 8th, 9am to 5pm
Advance registration required: participation limited to a maximum of 30 people.
IP3 Reception
Thursday September 8th, 5:30pm
Reception for IP3 Network participants, supporters, and course participants.
IP3 Final Results Workshop
Friday September 9th, 9am to 3pm
A final presentation of IP3 network scientific results, followed by a discussion on implications for the future development of public policy on water issues.
To register, or for more information, please contact Nadine at nadine.kapphahn@usask.ca, advising which workshop(s) you wish to attend.
Dr Philip Marsh of Environment Canada's National Hydrology Research Centre is seeking a Post-Doctoral Fellow for a research project to test and develop a hydrologic model which will consider hazards to oil or gas pipelines, and to minimize environmental impacts of pipelines, in key northern environments. Research will focus on testing and improving a physically based hydrologic model, in order to improve our ability to predict:
(1) Discharge from river basins, with an emphasis on extreme events
(2) Snowcover distribution
(3) Soil freezing and melting over spatially heterogeneous terrain, and
(4) The effect of future climate change scenarios on hydrology.
Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in hydrology, with experience in
- Physically based modelling
- Analyzing large data sets
- Cold regions hydrological processes: snow accumulation and melt, permafrost, etc
- Writing scientific papers, and presenting results at scientific meetings
- Data sets from atmospheric models, such as re-analysis products, would be an asset.
- Excellent coding skills and interpersonal skills are essential
Duties of the successful candidate:
The successful candidate would be responsible for:
(1) Developing the required data base to drive the model. Data is available in NHRC data sets (approx. 20 years of data), as well as data housed elsewhere, including Environment Canada's operational data sets (Water Survey of Canada and Meteorological Service of Canada) and University data sets
(2) Testing the hydrologic model for Trail Valley and Havikpak Creeks near Inuvik, NWT
(3) Analyzing the resulting model output, with an emphasis on extreme events
(4) Modifying, in consultation with the model developer, the model as needed, and
(5) Participating in the writing of reports and papers stemming from this research project.
In the first year, the project will concentrate on model testing and improvement.
Subsequent years will consider
(1) Transferability of GEOtop to other basins
(2) Utility of using atmospheric model re-analysis products, and
(3) Consideration of the impact of future climate scenarios on the hydrology of these northern regions
Duration of Position: 1 year, with possible extension.
Salary: follows Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada salary guidelines for Visiting Fellow at a Federal Govt Laboratory
Starting Date: September 1, 2011 or earlier
Contact:
Dr Philip Marsh
Environment Canada National Hydrology Research Centre
Saskatoon, SK
Philip.marsh@ec.gc.ca
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix included an editorial in its issue of 21st June 2011 discussing the need for increased funding of hydrological research, in order to improve methods for predicting and mitigating the effects of climate change, and included mention of the IP3 and DRI networks.
This topic has been brought into particular focus by this spring's severe flooding throughout the Prairie Provinces.
The article is available from the Star Phoenix site, or in PDF form here.
The 10 June 2011 edition of Canmore's Rocky Mountain Outlook newspaper included an overview of the extreme variability in snowpack and melt behaviour observed in Marmot Creek and other sites through the Alberta Rockies this spring: the article is available here.
The same edition also profiled the PUB2011-P3 workshop held in May (here).
Congratulations to CH MSc student Chris Marsh, who has been awarded the D.M.Gray Award for Best Student Paper in Hydrology at the Canadian Geophysical Union this year, for his paper and talk Implication of mountain shading and topographic scaling on energy for snowmelt.
There was a large number of applicants and the papers and presentations were very strong, so this is a particularly significant feedback to Chris. CH Director Prof John Pomeroy comments "I am sure that Don Gray would be very happy with this".
The paper is available for download here.
Presentations by candidates for faculty posts in the Global Institute for Water Security have been scheduled as follows:
Candidates for Post in Hydro-ecological Assessment or Modelling
Candidate 1
8:30 a.m., 24 May 2011: Room 144, Kirk Hall
Candidate 2
1:00 p.m., 31 May 2011: Room 2E25, Agriculture Building
Candidates for Post in Hydrometeorology and Climate Science
Candidate 1
1:00 p.m., 24 May 2011: Room 2E17, Agriculture Building
Candidate 2
11:00 a.m., 26 May 2011: Room 2E17, Agriculture Building
Candidate 3
1:00 p.m., 30 May 2011: Room 2E25, Agriculture Building
Candidates for Post in Statistical Hydrology and Stochastic Processes
Candidate 1
8:30 a.m., 27 May 2011: Room 2E17, Agriculture Building
Candidate 2
1:00 p.m., 7 June 2011: Room 2C01, Engineering Building
Candidate 3
1:00 p.m., 8 June 2011: Room 2C01, Engineering Building
A Q&A session will follow each presentation.
The Centre for Hydrology's 'Canadian Rockies Snow & Ice' initiative is partnering with the Western Watersheds Climate Research Collaborative and Interpretive Guides Association to present 'Storm Warning: Emerging Issues in Water & Climate Science'.
Presentations will provide a synopsis of recent advancements in glacial research and hydro-climatic science related to the interface between ice, water and the atmosphere, here in the Rockies and around the world.
The Forum will be moderated by Dr Ed Johnson, Director of the University of Calgary's Biogeoscience Institute, and speakers will include Dr Mike Demuth (head of the Glaciology Division of the Geological Survey of Canada), Jocelyn Hirose (University of Calgary, glaciology), and Bob Sandford (EPCOR Chair in support of the United Nations Water for Life Decade in Canada). More information is available here.
The event will take place in the Canmore Collegiate High School Theatre at 7pm on Thursday, April 14th, 2011.
In the course of his presentation entitled Water Security and the Perfect Storm on United Nations World Water Day, March 22nd, Canada Excellence Research Chair Professor Howard Wheater announced the establishment of a new Global Institute for Water Security, to be based at the University of Saskatchewan.
Full details are available here
Two hydrology-related presentations from the University of Saskatchewan's Water Week are now available for online viewing:
March 25th - The Saskatoon Star Phoenix published an article highlighting planning by Professors John Pomeroy and Howard Wheater for a major Prairie research project this spring.
With near-record snowpacks persisting later than usual this year throughout much of the West, it's envisaged that the imminent melt season may well provide a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to observe and document a runoff - and potentially flood - event of the scale currently thought to be likely.
The article is available here.
SciencePages is a new initiative of the Partnership Group for Science & Engineering (PAGSE) that aims to increase discussion on topical issues with science and engineering at their core, by summarizing the current state of knowledge and policy. Parliamentarians and their staff are a key audience.
Each issue engages a team of three interns with backgrounds in science, engineering, policy or communications. Interns are provided with a unique training opportunity at the science-policy-communications interface, and a chance to develop an enduring network of individuals with interests and skills in the integration of science and policy. Interns are recognized as authors of the published SciencePages.
Interns are typically graduate students or junior professionals in science, engineering, public policy or communications. The internship is part-time, so it is possible to maintain current work / studies. More information is available here.
Full details of how to apply, and biographies of current and past interns, can be found at www.sciencepages.ca/internship.html.
Applications are invited from interns with backgrounds in all disciplines, but particularly from those specialising in Climate Science and Toxicologyfor imminent issues - applications for these are due by April 15th
Dr Dennis Lettenmaier of the University of Washington will speak on the topic of 'Unanswered questions in predicting the hydrologic impacts of climate change', on Wednesday, March 23, 2011, from 10:30 to 11:30 am, in the Convocation Hall.
Here is an abstract of Dr Lettenmaier's presentation:
From a societal perspective, changes in the land surface water cycle, perhaps aside from sea level rise, represent the most pervasive impacts of climate change. It is well established that increases in concentrations of greenhouse gases, most notably CO2 and CH4, will lead to increases in surface temperatures globally, and these effects are now evidenced in global observations. Furthermore, from first principles, increases in air temperature lead to higher atmospheric moisture, and in turn precipitation. Unfortunately, the implications of these global changes are much more difficult to unravel on a regional level, a problem that is compounded, from the standpoint of land surface hydrology, by the low skill of current generation climate models in representing precipitation. However, even absent these uncertainties, there remain key issues in our ability to represent land surface hydrologic sensitivities to a changing climate. Dr Lettenmaier will discuss three of these areas of uncertainty:
- In hydrologic model predictions of the precipitation and temperature sensitivities of annual runoff
- In the sensitivity of floods to changes in precipitation
- In the coupled interaction of atmospheric circulation and river runoff
Centre for Hydrology PhD Student Robert Armstrong will present details of his work on 'Spatial Variability of Actual Evaporation in a Prairie Landscape' on Monday 28 March, 2011 at 2:30pm, 144 Kirk Hall.
The following abstract provides an overview of his work;
Actual evaporation has considerable spatial variability that is not captured by point scale estimates from meteorological station data. Physically-based point scale evaporation models were found to provide reasonable estimates of evaporation for temporal scales from several days to seasonal periods but provided poorer estimates for daily and sub-daily periods. Remote sensing was valuable for deriving key variables needed for distributing point scale models for direct estimates over a larger area. A method was developed for distributing net radiation at the field scale which can be used to obtain the spatial variability of evaporation estimates. There was no evidence that spatial covariance between surface variables driving the Granger feedback evaporation model influenced upscaled evaporation estimates which can be attributed to offsetting interactions between model parameters. The variability of point scales estimates obtained from long term hydrological simulations during drought and non-drought periods was further considered across the Canadian Prairie region. The structure of drought was dynamic and there was no consistent spatial pattern of actual evaporation. The variability of evaporation increased as the drought progressed and declined sharply with ensuing wetter conditions.
The results contribute to a better understanding of the effects of spatial associations of key factors on evaporation estimates in a Prairie landscape. The methodology developed for distributing net radiation from assimilated visible and thermal images could potentially be used in regional scale modelling applications for improving evaporation estimates using point scale estimation techniques. The modelling algorithms applied to derive point estimates of evaporation from surface reference data may be useful for operational purposes that require estimates of evaporation (e.g. agriculture, hydrology, ecology, etc.).
MSc student Ross Phillips of the Centre for Hydrology, supervised by Prof John Pomeroy and Dr Chris Spence, has received approval for his Master's thesis on 'Connectivity and runoff dynamics in heterogeneous drainage basins'.
Ross's thesis was based largely on fieldwork in the Baker Creek research basin, in the Northwest Territories, and contributed to the findings of the IP3 network.
Details of the thesis are available here.
Water is life. And water security - both quality and supply - is one of the most critical issues facing the planet.
Join us during U of S Water Week to celebrate our new $30-million Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security, and hear how some top U of S researchers are helping to protect and manage this precious global resource, through a series of events.
More information is available here.
The Saskatchewan Branch of the CWRA is hosting a one-day workshop to explore aspects of interjurisdictional water quantity management in Prairie Canada. It will cover policy, governance, public engagement, and data harmonization.
The workshop's objectives include
- Assessment of water quantity management at international and interprovincial boundaries, with an emphasis on the Prairies region
- Exploration of innovative and effective best practices for addressing boundary issues through case studies
- Promotion of interdisciplinary approaches for integrated transboundary water quantity management
It will be held on Friday 4th February 2011, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina. The registration deadline is 1st February 2011: early-registration discounts are available until 10th January 2011.
More details are available from the announcement poster, and the registration form is available here.
The University of Saskatchewan and the Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences is offering an intensive course on the physical principles of hydrology with particular relevance to Canadian conditions.
Factors governing hydrological processes in Canadian landscapes will be discussed including precipitation, interception, snow accumulation, snowmelt, evaporation, infiltration, groundwater movement and streamflow. These processes will be framed within the context of distinctly Canadian landscape features such as glaciers, peatlands and seasonally frozen ground. State of the art statistical analyses will be presented. Students will be exposed to an overview of each subject, with recent scientific findings and new cutting edge theories, tools and techniques. They will complete numerical and essay assignments to develop skills in problem solving and in synthesizing complex hydrological concepts. Field examinations in nearby environments and research basins will enhance the learning experience. Students will emerge from the course with a deeper understanding of physical hydrological processes and how they interact to produce catchment water budgets and streamflow response.
The course will take place at the University of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute’s Barrier Lake Station in the Kananaskis Valley from February 28 – March 11, 2011. The course will focus on classroom instruction, but will take advantage of the proximity to the Marmot Creek Research Basin to expose students to current field instrumentation and measurement techniques. Each day will start with lectures on the primary subject, and include time to work on assigned exercises. Certain days will include a field work component to examine the processes and measurement techniques relevant to the lectures.
The course is intended for hydrology and water resources graduate students and early to mid-level career water resource engineers, hydrologists, aquatic ecologists and technologists from Canada who are either working directly in hydrology and water resources or are looking to broaden their understanding of hydrological systems and processes. In 2010, participants were from several universities and employers such as Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Syncrude, Ducks Unlimited, Brookfield Power, Knight Piesold, AMEC, and Alberta Environment. Participants came from across Canada and the United States.
Course capacity is 30 students. Registration ends February 7, 2011. This physical science course is quantitative in nature and so a firm foundation in calculus and physics at the first year university level and some undergraduate hydrology or hydraulics training is required. Registration and course information can be found here:
If you have further questions, please contact Dr Christopher Spence or Dr John Pomeroy. If interested in receiving academic credit for your participation, please contact Dr Pomeroy. Arrangements have been made for people not currently enrolled in a university program to receive academic credit.
The full announcement is available in PDF form here.
Prof Howard Wheater, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan, will give a lecture entitled 'Water Futures and the Perfect Storm' on Monday 25th October 2010, at 7pm in the St Thomas More College Auditorium. Please note that seating may be limited.
This event has been organised by the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, and made possible by the William Rekunyk Fund.
Matt MacDonald will be defending his MSc, entitled Hydrological response unit-based blowing snow modelling over mountainous terrain on Monday, 18 October at 1:00 pm, in room 144 Kirk Hall
Director of the Centre for Hydrology Prof John Pomeroy will be giving a cyber-seminar on Advancing hydrological processes to better predict hydrology in cold regions, for the US Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrological Science Inc (CUAHSI), at 3 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, 17 September.
The subject-area will cover results from IP3, DRI and other research from the University of Saskatchewan's Centre for Hydrology.
To attend, browse to http://www.cuahsi.org/sem-current.html#0917.
Bacon & Eggheads Breakfast
Version française ci-dessous
Download full description here.
By Lynn Martel, Rocky Mountain Outlook, Canmore, ABMarch 11, 2010
Hydrology is the scientific study of the properties, distribution and circulation of water on earth – on the surface, below ground and in the atmosphere.
Taking place at the University of Calgary’s Biogeoscience Institute Barrier Lake Station, the course was hosted by the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for Hydrology in partnership with the Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences.
Running March 2-11, the for-credit course drew 40 grad students from the universities of Lethbridge, Regina, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C.’s Simon Fraser, as well as professionals working as environmental assessment specialists, design engineers, environmental technicians, hydrometric technicians, water resource managers, streamflow forecasters and hydrogeologists with employers including Ducks Unlimited, Alberta Environment, Environment Canada and Syncrude.
The jam-packed agenda included full-day classroom sessions covering topics such as the fundamentals and physical principles of hydrology, precipitation and snow hydrology, the hydrology of glaciers, wetlands and groundwater, interception and evapotranspiration, infiltration and soil water, river networks, river hydraulics and ice.
Continue reading "Hydrology course establishes Bow Valley as national centre" »
Since 2000, the Foundation has invested $14.4 million in water related research. The workshop will look at what has emerged from this work and its relevance to safety, security, ecosystems, health and economic development. The Symposium will provide a forum on water security for policy and decision makers, in cooperation with researchers.
Continue reading "Canadian Water Security – How Science Can Help" »
from Revelstoke Times Review
A distinguished panel of glacier scientists was in Golden on Feb. 1 week to present information about the state of water reserves in the Columbia Basin, and to discuss the impacts of shrinking water supply.
Kindy Gosal, Director of Water and Environment for Columbia Basin Trust, said the evening was intended to be an information session for the citizens of the area about glacial recession.
“I think it’s important information to fill in the knowledge gap that people have in this basin about what’s going to happen for the future of water supply in the face of climate change and the recession of our glaciers,” said Gosal.
“The reason we need this information is because those glaciers are our banks and reserves of water. And really, we don’t have a good idea what’s happened to those bank accounts of water and what the future impacts might be as those bank accounts become depleted, or how fast we’re depleting their funds.”
Speaking at the event, Brian Menounos, from University of Northern British Columbia, commented on the potential political ramifications of this research. Part of this involves striking a balance between the electricity and water needs of the people in the Columbia Basin, southern British Columbia, and exports to the United States.
“One of the reasons we are studying these glaciers – and this is also why BC Hydro finds this interesting – people are going to consider the renegotiation of the Columbia Basin Treaty. When it was actually first set, at the turn of the last century, people assumed the glaciers were at their extent, that climate was more or less stable. We know that is not the case now. So we have to have a better understanding of how those glaciers have changed and how surface flows have changed.”
Read more here
Five additional evening presentations by Canadian and international snow and ice researchers will follow from February to May. You can download the full program here.
Continue reading "Seminar Series: The Canadian Rockies Snow and Ice Initiative" »
courtesy The Western Producer
Employment Opportunity with the National Hydrology Research Centre of Environment Canada as full-time research scientist in hydrology.
"Snow Man. He's a grad student with a snowy mission. Nicholas Kinar is measuring the amount of water in snow. He hopes it will help predict droughts and floods"On November 10th CBC radio's "The Morning Edition" had an interview with Nicholas Kinar, a grad student at the Centre for Hydrology. You can listen to the interview here.
"Nicholas Kinar is the only person who has been able to figure out how to use sound waves to measure the amount of water in snow," said his supervisor John Pomeroy, Canada Research chair in Water Resources and Climate Change and director of the U of- Centre for Hydrology.
"This will allow people to put improved water management systems in place and offer an early warning for water irrigation supply," said Pomeroy, noting that 80 per cent of the water in Saskatchewan lakes and rivers comes from melted snow.
By Lisa Johnson, For The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, SK
“We are entering a global water crisis, and given rapid climate change and resource development in the North, this work is urgent,” says the fourth-year University of Saskatchewan student.
Water shortages due to climate change could seriously affect Canadians and people all over the world. Dumanski’s research in the remote creek basin will help policy makers better understand water resources in cold regions and predict the global water supply.
Continue reading "Going North to Help Gauge Global Water Supply" »
This interdisciplinary program aims to provide international leadership in how integrated water quality and quantity problems at all scales are addressed. Building on the University of Saskatchewan’s established strengths in quatic toxicology, hydrology, and freshwater biology, and its proven track record of conducting research that influences public policy and environmental regulations and practices, this chair will lead a team of researchers into a new interdisciplinary endeavor we call ecotoxicohydrology; linking aquatic ecotoxicology with ecohydrology for improved freshwater resource management.
The Chair will provide leadership to the Schools by developing a prominent research and graduate student training program that addresses some major element(s) of water policy with a focus on freshwater resources, including but not limited to: water policy development or assessment; links of water policy to environmental and human health considerations; policy regarding sustainable water use, including water allocation and trans-boundary issues; links among energy policy/initiatives, climate change and water policy, or agriculture and water policy; policy concerning water valuation and trade; and policy in relation to national and international water governance, incl. multi-level governance structures. The Chair will also play an important role within larger, interdisciplinary water initiatives under development at the U of S.
Dr. Westbrook from Centre for Hydrology is part of this project.
View the complete release here. Additional information on the THREATS research group is available at: http://threats.usask.ca
By Mari-Louise Rowley - Rocky Mountain Outlook
