Modelling the response of glaciers in Western Canada to climate change

The costs of future climate change to the Canadian economy and society are likely to be very large. Meltwater from glaciers is an important source of freshwater throughout Western Canada, while freshwater carried by rivers to oceans plays a critical role in the global climate system. The overall goal of this project is to improve our understanding of glacier response to climate change in Western Canada. In particular, this internship project will develop and test a model that simulates surface melting on a study glacier in Yukon. This glacier is selected due to its long record of observations (e.g. mass balance, weather conditions, snow accumulation, snowline changes) necessary for the model development and validation. The results of this project will improve our predictions of glacier changes in this region and its impacts on Canadian freshwater resources. A better understanding of what is happening to the freshwater stored in mountain glaciers will enable policy makers to make more informed regional, national and international water supply decisions.

Faculty Supervisor:

Valentina Radic

Student:

Partner:

Université Joseph Fourier

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: