Upcoming Webinar- Climate Change and Future Flooding: A Case Study of Calgary’s Bow and Elbow River Basins

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Natural Resources, Canada
Presenter: Dr. John Pomeroy

Friday, December 11, 2020
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. MST (12:00 p.m. – 13:00 p.m. CST)

Abstract:
While increases in precipitation and temperature have been observed across Canada in the last half-century and are predicted for the future as climate change proceeds, there is still little understanding of how climate change will affect future streamflow and flooding in Canada due to the complexity of meteorological, hydrological, and water management aspects of flooding. This project modelled the historical and future changes in the flow frequencies of the Bow and Elbow river basins above Calgary to better understand how natural processes and reservoir management contribute to river flow and flood frequency estimates and how they can be expected to change with a changing climate through the 21st C. In this webinar geared toward technical experts, Dr. John Pomeroy will present the case study and methodology for incorporating climate change into flood frequency and water supply estimates, including a blueprint for applying these lessons in river basins across Canada.

For more information and to register for this workshop, go to: https://climateriskinstitute.ca/2020/05/20/webinar-climate-change-and-future-flooding-a-case-study-of-calgarys-bow-and-elbow-river-basins/

View the poster here.

Cold Regions Warming – art exhibit virtual tour

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Climate change: art with Russian roots helps Canadian scientists
Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Great Britain

An exhibition of art by Gennady Ivanov opened in London, as part of an international multimedia project “Transitions”. The artist, born in Russia and raised in Belarus, presented works that help viewers visualize the impact of climate change on the cold regions of Russia and Canada. The project also includes a meeting with climate scientists John Pomeroy and Trevor Davis. Both the artist and the scientists emphasize that human-induced climate change is a greater challenge to humanity than the Covid-19 pandemic.

View the full article and watch the tour here.

 

New Article – John Pomeroy’s love of place fuels world-leading scientific work

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Bryn Levy
Star Phoenix, November 19, 2020

“Maybe it sounds silly, but I really have to love a place to understand it scientifically as well.”

Growing up downwind of Lake Erie may have helped steer John Pomeroy toward a career in water science.
“I was always taught ‘never touch lake water,’ ” he says of his childhood in northern Ohio.

“The area I lived in was very polluted. The river nearby would catch fire because of the heavy oil slicks on it. Lake Erie was dying at the time and the stench of dead fish off it was awful,” Pomeroy, now 60, says from his home just outside Saskatoon.

Pomeroy currently serves as Canada research chair in water resources and climate change at the University of Saskatchewan, as well as director of the school’s Global Water Futures Programme and the University of Saskatchewan Centre for Hydrology.

Read the full article here.

Royal Society of Canada Celebration of Excellence and Engagement virtual presentations will showcase Centre members

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November 23 to 29, 2020

In partnership with the University of Toronto, www.utoronto.ca, the 2020 COEE will be a week-long scholarly, scientific and artistic exploration with enhanced digital engagement. Over seven days, from November 23 to November 29, over 1,000 delegates will engage in 50+ sessions featuring the insights of hundreds of scholars, artists and scientists on the key issues of our time. There will be two international symposia: the G7 Research Summit on the Future of Digital Health; and a virtual symposium organized by the University of Toronto celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, exploring the legacy of this discovery, and examining its intersections with COVID-19 research.
Nearly all activities will be live, and then made available for download. Some activities will be open discussions, others will be presentations of the latest research findings followed by Q&A. However, most important is that all activities provide opportunities for engagement, learning, and the exchange of insights and experience. All are welcome, all are invited to contribute.

Dr. John Pomeroy and Centre PhD student, Carolyn Aubry-Wake will participate in the Rowmanowski Lecture at 3:30 pm, Tuesday, November 24 EST

For more information, registration, and link to the agenda, go to: https://rsc-src.ca/en/events/coee2020

 

Core Modelling Webinar Series to feature Pomeroy, Clark, and other Centre for Hydrology members

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The Core Modelling Webinar Series hosted by the Core Modelling Team of the Global Water Futures program is a monthly event that will commence from September 2020. Many of the Core Modelling meetings have been on the mechanics of the work, therefore, this series will specifically highlight the major science advances from different Core Modelling Themes. The webinar series is also expected to provide opportunities for identifying and developing cross-theme linkages and collaboration with other GWF projects.

For the webinar schedule and to register, go to: https://gwf.usask.ca/events-meetings/upcoming-events/core-modelling-webinar.php#About

New Article – Global Water Futures projects

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USask-led Global Water Futures announces 12 new projects to advance water security across Canada

Mark Ferguson, and USask Research Profile and Impact
USask News
Oct 28, 2020

After four years of transformative research, the University of Saskatchewan (USask)–led Global Water Futures (GWF) program—the world’s largest university-led freshwater research program —is launching the second phase of its seven-year mission with a $2.5-million investment in 12 new critically important water security projects.

Read the article here.

Global Water Futures featured in Water News Magazine article

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Global Water Futures: Solutions to Water Threats in an Era of Global Change
by Stacey Dumanski, Stephanie Merrill, Chris DeBeer, John Pomeroy

Water News
Volume 39, number 3 – Fall/Winter 2020

Canada is losing its cool.  The climate in Canada is warming twice as fast as the global average, with some areas in the north tripling that pace. Precipitation is changing too, with increases in many parts of the country and greater concentrations in floods and droughts. Climate and water are fundamentally linked in the earth system – water governs the climate and in turn climate affects water availability and timing. Together they support diverse ecosystems and aspects of water for human use: food production, manufacturing and recreation. This rapid climate warming, coupled with land use changes, has already resulted in destructive changes to the Canadian hydrology and that of cold regions around the world. Snowpacks are declining, glaciers are retreating with accelerated melt, precipitation patterns are changing, all while floods are intensifying and risk of drought and wildfires are increasing. All of these changes pose great challenges to the security of our critical infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health.

 

 

Water News Magazine is available to members of the Canadian Water Resources Association.  Membership information can be viewed at: https://cwra.org/en/membership/

 

Principles of Hydrology course to be offered online this January

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Principles of Hydrology Short Course, Geography 827
Dr. John Pomeroy
University of Saskatchewan

Course Synopsis
The University of Saskatchewan Centre for Hydrology with the assistance of the Canadian Society for Hydrological Sciences (CSHS) is offering an intensive course on the physical principles of hydrology with particular relevance to Canadian and cold regions conditions. Factors governing hydrological processes in Canadian landscapes will be discussed including precipitation, interception, energy balance, snow accumulation, snowmelt, glaciers, evaporation, evapotranspiration, infiltration, groundwater movement and streamflow routing and hydraulics. These processes will be framed within the context of distinctly Canadian landscape features such as high mountains, glaciers, peatlands, prairies, agricultural fields, tundra, boreal forests, frozen rivers and seasonally frozen ground. 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. 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 is intended for hydrology and water resources graduate students and early to midlevel career water resource engineers, hydrologists, aquatic ecologists and technologists who are either working directly in hydrology and water resources or are looking to broaden their understanding of hydrological systems and processes. This physical science course is quantitative in nature and so a firm foundation in basic calculus and physics at the first year university level and some undergraduate hydrology or hydraulics training is strongly recommended.

The course will be delivered online M-F for two weeks starting Jan 11th. Each morning will have two 90 min. lecture sessions (0830-1000h, 1030-1200h MST). Each afternoon will have supplementary lecture material, introduction of assignments and an interactive Q & A session with the instructor of the morning’s lecture (1300-1500h). Lectures will be available as recordings and PDFs of slides after they are delivered.

All participants must apply for admission as a graduate student with the University of Saskatchewan if they are not already a graduate student at the U of S or another Canadian institution.  For more information about the course and how to apply, go to: https://research-groups.usask.ca/hydrology/training-education/intensive-courses/geog-827.php