As any resident of northern climates knows, a seasonal thaw is never straightforward.
As any resident of northern climates knows, a seasonal thaw is never straightforward. The freeze-thaw process can last over a period of months and historically was mitigated by predictable air temperature and snow cover depth.
Climate change, however, warms the air and thins the snow, and therefore can affect this cycle. According to a new study by Concordia researchers published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, this can have major impacts on greenhouse gas emissions in the north and urban infrastructure in the south.
Using a new statistical framework and by analysing datasets from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Princeton University and the Dorval, Quebec-based Canadian Meteorological Centre, the researchers demonstrate how increasing air temperatures and decreasing snow cover work in tandem to increase the effects of climate change in a non-linear fashion, meaning that they work to amplify the overall impact felt on the ground.
Furthermore, they affect Quebec’s distinct ecological regions differently, presenting policy makers and residents with unique problems.
Read more at Concordia University
Image: Ali Nazemi: “By calculating non-linear responses, we can quantify how fewer frozen days we will see in the north and how many more transitional days we will see in the south.” (Credit: Concordia University)
