Xiaohui Zhao, Yanping Li (2022). Physical Response of the 2013 Alberta Flood Event to Global Warming. Proceedings of the GWF Annual Open Science Meeting, May 16-18, 2022.

The greenhouse gas induced warming increases the water holding capacity of the atmosphere, which likely results in enhanced extreme precipitations. Extreme precipitations and associated flooding often cause significant societal disruption; therefore, it is imperative to study the changes of extreme precipitation under climate warming scenario. Most previous studies have focused on the frequency and intensity changes of extreme precipitation events from a statistical or climatological perspective. However, few studies have investigated the physical response of an extreme precipitation event to future climate warming.
During 19-22 June 2013, an extreme precipitation event happened in Alberta, which brought severe flooding and socio-economic damage to many locations in southern Alberta. This work aims to investigate the physical responses of the 2013 Alberta heavy rainfall event to future climate by conducting high-resolution pseudo-global warming WRF simulations. The control experiment is forced with 6-h European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Interim (ERA-Interim) reanalysis data; the sensitivity experiment is forced with 6-h perturbed ERA-Interim reanalysis data (i.e., ERA-Interim reanalysis + climate change signals derived from 5 global climate models under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 emission scenario). This poster will present results from the two simulations.

First Author: Xiaohui Zhao, Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan
Additional Authors: Yanping Li, Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan; School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan