1. communities CLIMATE CHANGE sectors
GEOSCIENCE
paleoclimate indicators

2. CLIMATE CHANGE
GEOSCIENCE
Natural Resources Canada

3. “ For anyone who thinks that climate science must
be impeachable to be useful, the past few months
have been a depressing time.
”
The Economist
Mar 20 2010

4. 3 Ottawa has warmed by approximately 1°C since the late 1800s.
2
1
0 1971-2000 average
-1
-2
-3
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000
source: Adjusted Historical Canadian Climate Data, Environment Canada

5. Trend in annual temperature, 1900 - 2008
source: Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA degrees Celsius

6. The evidence for climate change is NOT just measurements of air temperature

7. Maximum sea ice extent
September 2009
median sea ice extent
1979-2009
source: National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado

10. IMPACTS
Hydroelectric power production

11. IMPACTS
Transportation routes

12. IMPACTS
Northern infrastructure

14. 14

15. CLIMATE CHANGE
GEOSCIENCE
Natural Resources Canada

16. Earth Science Sector - Program Activity Architecture
CHALLENGE
Develop and apply Earth Science to respond
to the effects of climate change and address
risks to infrastructure and communities

18. AGENCY PARTNERS
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Canadian Institute of Planners
Parks Canada Toronto Public Health
Department of Defense Halifax Port Authority
Indian and Northern A airs International Joint Commission
Canada-Nunavut
Geoscience O ce
Nunavut
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island
British Columbia
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Pangnirtung
Vancouver
Clyde River
Iqaluit
Arctic Bay
Greater Toronto
Resolute
SCIENCE PARTNERS
Repulse Bay
INDUSTRY PARTNERS Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Kugaaruk
Manitoba Hydro US Geological Survey Arviat
Hydro Quebec Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change Gjoa Haven
Seabridge Gold World Meteorological Organization Pond Inlet
Purcell Green Power Université Laval
Memorial University

19. EARTH SCIENCE

20. EARTH SCIENCE
✓shows us how climate change is a ecting critical
landscapes and natural resources

21. EARTH SCIENCE
✓shows us how climate change is a ecting critical
landscapes and natural resources
✓gives us a broader perspective on contemporary
environmental and resource issues

22. EARTH SCIENCE
✓shows us how climate change is a ecting critical
landscapes and natural resources
✓gives us a broader perspective on contemporary
environmental and resource issues
✓helps us understand the past so that we can make
better plans for the future

23. D Y N A M I C LANDSCAPES

24. FROM SEA TO SEA TO SEA
Canada has more coastline than any other country

25. Coastal communities are vulnerable to ocean hazards

26. Globally, sea level has risen by nearly 0.2 m
satellite altimetry
coastal tide gauges
reconstructed sea level
source: IPCC (2007)

27. aerial photo - Vancouver
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Metro Vancouver
Municipality of Richmond
Municipality of Delta

28. University of California - Santa Barbara c.f. Dyke, 2004

29. VANCOUVER’S UPS AND DOWNS
Better forecasts of sea levels rise in Greater Vancouver

30. Burnaby
Vancouver
Richmond
Delta

31. “ [Future sea-level rise] could have signi cant
consequences for areas currently protected by
dikes (such as the Fraser and Squamish deltas),
where coastal erosion is already an issue
(eastern Graham Island, Haida Gwaii), or where
development and harbour infrastructure is
close to present high tide limits.
”
GOVERNMENT PARTNER
Government of
British Columbia

32. Cambridge Bay
Kugluktuk Iqaluit
Whale Cove
Arviat

33. “ ...communities in the Canadian Arctic may experience
continuing sea-level fall, or, at most, reduced levels
of sea-level rise compared to the global average.
”
James, T.S., Simon, K.M, Forbes, D,L.and Dyke, A.S. (2009)
Sea-level Projections for Five Pilot Communities of the
Nunavut Climate Change Partnership. Draft report
submitted to the Canadian Institute of Planners, 25 p.

36. THE LONG VIEW

37. Our perspective on environmental issues is often limited in TIME and SPACE.

39. “We’ve got a map for that.”

40. NORTHERN COMMUNITIES
How should development deal with thawing permafrost?
36

41. SCIENCE PARTNER
Université Laval
37

42. OUTPUT
Landscape hazard maps for Nunavut communities
avoid for construction
recommend for construction

43. NORTHERN ECOSYSTEMS
How is climate change impacting the tundra and boreal forest?

44. Satellite observations show
Arctic ‘greening’ since the mid 1980s
Pouliot, D., R. Latifovic, and I. Olthof (2009)
International Journal of Remote Sensing

45. PEARLS UNSTRUNG?
How will climate change a ect Canada’s Great Lakes?

46. 7,500-year old cedar stump rooted at the bottom of Georgian Bay

48. CANADA’S CHANGING CRYOSPHERE
How will shrinking glaciers a ect downstream water resources?

49. Measuring snow accumulation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

50. water gained or lost (mm) from High Arctic glaciers
2,500
Devon Meighen Melville Agassiz White
0
-2,500
-5,000
-7,500
-10,000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

51. AGENCY PARTNERS
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Canadian Institute of Planners
Parks Canada Toronto Public Health
Department of Defense Halifax Port Authority
Indian and Northern A airs International Joint Commission
Canada-Nunavut
Geoscience O ce
Nunavut
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Prince Edward Island
British Columbia
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Pangnirtung
Vancouver
Clyde River
Iqaluit
Arctic Bay
Greater Toronto
Resolute
SCIENCE PARTNERS
Repulse Bay
INDUSTRY PARTNERS Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Kugaaruk
Manitoba Hydro US Geological Survey Arviat
Hydro Quebec Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change Gjoa Haven
Seabridge Gold World Meteorological Organization Pond Inlet
Purcell Green Power Université Laval
Memorial University

52. GOVERNMENT PARTNER
International Joint
Commission

53. AGENCY PARTNER
Parks Canada

54. AGENCY PARTNER
Canadian Institute
of Planners
50

55. C O N N E C T I N G PA S T WITH FUTURE

56. The Earth Sciences are often associated with changes that span “Deep Time”

57. 58.0%
Percentage of Canada’s power supply
19.0%
12.0%
6.0%
3.0%
1.0% 0.5% 0.5%
Source: Canadian Electricity Association

58. Wind power has expanded by more than 15x since 2000

59. Energy companies typically use short-term measurements for long-term planning

61. Long-term records demonstrate that the southern Prairies
are vulnerable to ‘wind droughts’
✓ Six major ‘wind droughts’ since 1954
✓ Slow-downs persisted for 8 to 13 months
✓ Strongest events a ected most of western Canada

63. “ [The next strong El Niño] ... may also test the ability of
Prairie wind farms to maintain expected energy outputs
during a prolonged interval of unusually weak winds.
”
Geophysical Research Letters
December 2009

64. A “textbook” El Niño occurred during the 2009-2010 winter

65. “ And separately, we are seeing strong El Niño conditions.
This has the seasonal impact of reducing wind supply
compared to previous years.
”
Stephen Snyder
President and Chief Executive O cer
February 24, 2010

66. Earth Science Sector - Program Activity Architecture
CHALLENGE
Develop and apply Earth Science to respond
to the effects of climate change and address
risks to infrastructure and communities

67. The Earth Sciences provide a unique perspective on our dynamic and changing landscape

68. Permafrost surveys help protect national historic sites in Canada’s North

69. High-altitude expeditions show how Canada’s Arctic has responded to past climate change

70. Understanding permafrost dynamics in emerging energy and transportation corridors

71. Bringing climate science to communities dealing with change

72. CLIMATE CHANGE
GEOSCIENCE
Natural Resources Canada