Atmospheric rivers in winter: what are the impacts on hydrology in Quebec?
Presentation summary
The last few winters in Quebec have been punctuated by episodes of rain that were sometimes very intense, leading to a deterioration in conditions conducive to outdoor recreational activities and to flooding well ahead of the spring melt. How can we explain a total of 100 mm of rain in 30 hours in the middle of December?
This presentation will shed some light on the role that atmospheric rivers play in the winters of southern Quebec. These narrow bands of water vapour, which can dump intense amounts of precipitation locally and promote rapid snow melt due to strong winds and high temperatures, have been well studied in the west of the continent, but what do we know about their hydrological impact in Quebec? How does it vary throughout the season? Based on field data and multiple atmospheric databases, we will try to answer these questions.
Learning objectives
Understand the main characteristics of an atmospheric river
Assess the hydrological impact of atmospheric rivers and their variability in space and time
Register for the webinar to get the ZOOM link.
* Presentation in french
Speaker(s)
Daniel Nadeau is a full professor in the Department of Civil and Water Engineering at Laval University and director of the bachelor's program in water engineering. His research focuses on the hydrology of cold regions, with an emphasis on measuring and modeling water and energy exchanges between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere.
