Modeling the effects of climate change on streamflow in a sub-basin of the Lower Churchill River, Labrador

• Main Author: Pryse-Phillips, Amy, 1980-
• Other Authors: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science;
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Climatic changes > Environmental aspects > Newfoundland and Labrador > Labrador > Forecasting; Hydrological forecasting > Newfoundland and Labrador > Labrador; Streamflow > Newfoundland and Labrador > Labrador; Newfoundland; Canada; Churchill River; Newfoundland studies; University of Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/142527

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2010. Engineering and Applied Science Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-116) Future streamflow in the Churchill River is of great interest to Nalcor Energy, the Newfoundland and Labrador energy corporation that is currently planning the development of a 3,074 MW hydroelectric project in Labrador. The current study investigates the potential impacts of climate change on streamflow in a sub-basin of the lower Churchill River. -- In this study, a dynamically downscaled future climate scenario is used to drive a hydrological model of the Pinus River basin to assess climate change impacts on localized streamflow between current (1969-2000) and future (2039-2070) periods. The WATFLOOD hydrological model has been selected for this purpose while the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program has served as the source of regional climate model (RCM) data. -- Biases were detected in RCM temperature and precipitation and non-linear bias-correction procedures were applied prior to simulation in the hydrological model. The results indicated a 13 percent increase in mean annual flow, concentrated in the winter and spring seasons.