[CEE Seminar] "Climate, snow, and water: An overview of change in the Upper Fraser River Basin"

Start Date/Time: Thursday, March 29, 2012, 3:30 PM
Ending Date/Time: Thursday, March 29, 2012, 4:30 PM
Location: More Hall 220

[CEE 500 Seminar]

Title: Climate, snow, and water: An overview of change in the Upper Fraser River Basin
Speaker: Stephen Déry Environmental Science and Engineering Program University of Northern British Columbia

Abstract:
The Fraser River Basin (FRB) drains 240,000 km2 or one quarter of British Columbia (BC), Canada, forming one of the greatest salmon rivers in the world. It bears a large amount of natural and human heritage manifested through its ecological, social, and economic diversity. This presentation will focus on several aspects of the changing climate and environment of the upper FRB. Background information on the 20th century regional climate will first be presented. This will be followed by an investigation of blowing snow in the Cariboo Mountains and its potential impacts on glacier mass balance in the area. The role of climate change on snowpack accumulation and soil moisture in the Inland Temperate Rainforest will then be discussed. The presentation will next report on a knowledge sharing process on climate change and water held at Stellat’en First Nation of northwestern BC. Some final thoughts will close the presentation.