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Impacts of 1.5 and 2.0 °C Warming on Pan‐Arctic River Discharge Into the Hudson Bay Complex Through 2070
Author(s) -
MacDonald Matthew K.,
Stadnyk Tricia A.,
Déry Stephen J.,
Braun Marco,
Gustafsson David,
Isberg Kristina,
Arheimer Berit
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2018gl079147
Subject(s) - bay , environmental science , discharge , global warming , arctic , precipitation , climatology , climate change , oceanography , drainage basin , geology , geography , meteorology , cartography
Discharge projections into the Hudson Bay Complex to 2070 are investigated for global mean temperature warming levels of 1.5 and 2.0 °C. Median precipitation increases from 1986–2005, ranging from 2% during summer to 19% during winter, are projected to increase discharge in all seasons except summer. The rise in discharge is greatest furthest north, into Foxe Basin, Ungava Bay, and Hudson Strait, exceeding 10% above historical annual means. A 2.0 °C warming results in higher discharge than 1.5 °C warming owing to greater precipitation (e.g., 6.5% greater spring discharge increase); however, summer discharge for 2.0 °C warming is lower due to enhanced evaporation and lower precipitation increase from historical (4.0% lower summer discharge increase). Extreme daily high flows are projected to be greater than historical, more so for 2.0 °C warming than 1.5 °C warming, and this is greatest in the eastern and northern regions. These projections suggest continued increasing river discharge into pan‐Arctic coastal oceans.