HYDROLOGIC EFFECTS OF CLIMATIC-CHANGE IN WEST-CENTRAL CANADA

The paper examines the impact of climatic change on the timing of the spring runoff event. Impact detection is accomplished using a non-para metric statistical test for trend that is applied to the assembled dat a sets. The application of the approach is to a set of 84 natural rive rs from the west-central region of Canada. The results indicate that t here are a greater number of rivers that exhibit earlier spring runoff than can be attributed to chance occurrence. The observed impacts on the timing of spring runoff are more prevalent in the recent portion o f the data record, which is consistent with what one would expect if t he impacts are a result of greenhouse gas induced climatic change.