Natural Resources Canada

A simulation of projected changes in summer (June to August) precipitation from the period 1961 to 1990 to the period 2040 to 2060 for Canada is shown on this map. Projected precipitation changes would not be evenly distributed geographically. Summer patterns show regions with both increases and...

A simulation of projected changes in summer (June to August) temperatures from the period 1961 to 1990 to the period 2040 to 2060 for Canada is shown on this map. The temperature changes would not be evenly distributed geographically. The model shows broadly similar but weaker and less...

A simulation of projected changes in winter (December to February) precipitation from the period 1961 to 1990 to the period 2040 to 2060 for Canada is shown on this map. In general, precipitation would increase as the century progresses and the climate warms. Projected precipitation changes are...

A simulation of projected changes in the winter (December to February) temperatures from the period 1961 to 1990 to the period 2040 to 2060 for Canada is shown on this map. The temperature changes would not be evenly distributed geographically. The largest warming projected is for the interior...

Wind erosion risk for unprotected soils in areas sensitive to climatic change is shown on this map. The regions that would have the highest sensitivity to a warming climate are likely to occur in the southern and central Prairies and in the southernmost part of Ontario. This risk of wind erosion...

The regional pattern of greenhouse gas emissions for 1998 is shown on this map. The map also shows regional emissions per capita, in terms of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per habitant in each region. Carbon dioxide emissions are a large part, at least 55%, of the total greenhouse gas emissions...

Regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by sectors of the economy for 1998 are shown here. The map also shows the regional carbon intensity measured in tonnes of CO2-equivalent to per million dollars of Real Domestic Product. The share of economic sectors in the total regional GHG emissions...

The regional trends of greenhouse gas emissions for the period 1990 to 2020 are shown here. Also shown is a projection of regional carbon intensity in terms of tonnes of carbon dioxide per million dollars of Real Domestic Product. This map shows long-term greenhouse gas emissions growth on a...

A drainage basin is an area that drains all precipitation received as a runoff or base flow (groundwater sources) into a particular river or set of rivers. Canada’s major drainage regions are the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. A lake can be defined as...

Glaciers and icefields are huge masses of ice, formed on land by the compaction and re-crystallization of snow, that move very slowly down slopes, or move outward due to their own weight. In Canada, an estimated area of 200 000 square kilometres, or about 2% of the country’s area is covered by...

Groundwater is water found beneath the earth’s surface and located at the water table below. In Canada, there is more water underground than on the surface. Groundwater occurs in the tiny spaces between loose materials on top of bedrock, or in cracks of bedrock. The most important concentrations...

Wetlands are lands permanently or temporarily submerged or permeated by water, and characterized by plants adapted to saturated-soil conditions. Wetlands are the only ecosystem designated for conservation by international convention because they absorb the impact of hydrologic events, filter...

The map shows the annual mean total precipitation. Over much of the continental interior of Canada, precipitation reaches its annual maximum in the summer months and falls as rain. October marks the transition from mainly rain to snowfall across northern Canada.

The map shows the mean total precipitation in the month of July. Throughout much of the continental interior of Canada, precipitation reaches its annual maximum in the summer months and falls as rain. On the Prairies, the maximum monthly precipitation is usually in June or July, but this shifts...

The map shows the mean total precipitation in the month of January. January precipitation across Canada is mainly in the form of snow. Throughout much of the interior and the north, precipitation amounts are generally less than 20 mm and, in the high Arctic, as little as a few millimetres. The...

The map shows the mean total precipitation in the month of April. April is a transitional month across much of southern Canada, when snow is still possible but rainfall begins to dominate the precipitation regime. Precipitation amounts across the southern interior of Canada are somewhat greater...

The map shows the mean total precipitation in the month of October. October marks the transition from mainly rain to snowfall across northern Canada. Snowfall also occurs across much of the interior of southern Canada but in relatively small amounts that usually melt. October also marks the...

This map shows the average maximum snow depth in centimetres computed over 18 winter seasons (1979 to 1997). Over southern Canada this usually occurs in January or February, while the time of maximum accumulation occurs much later in mountain areas and in the Arctic. The main features of the map...

This map shows the median date of snow-cover loss (defined as the last date with 14 consecutive days of snow cover greater than 2 centimetres in depth) computed over 18 winter seasons (1979 to 1997). In areas with permanent or semipermanent snow cover (for example, Arctic ice caps) or in areas...

This map shows the median date of snow-cover onset (defined as the first date with 14 consecutive days of snow cover greater than 2 centimetres in depth) computed over 18 winter seasons (1979 to 1997). In areas with permanent or semipermanent snow cover (for example, Arctic ice caps) or in areas...