The Impact of Climate Change on the Wind Velocities and Wind Directions of Alberta

Abstract

Global wind patterns are shifting due to a variety of factors all linking back to climate change and human activity impacting the environment. As the polar regions of the planets move closer in temperature to that of the equator, pressure changes and circulation of the atmosphere are changing. Wind speeds are noticeable decreasing which impacts our ecology, geological processes, engineering, and energy production. Despite this, most climate change attention is focused on temperatures and precipitation. This study seeks to compare the annual wind speeds experienced across the province of Alberta today, to the annual wind speeds of 20 to 30 years ago. A similar comparison of wind direction will also be undertaken using ArcGIS. Results will then be analyzed for consistency with climate change predictions and the impact of wind variations across Alberta’s six natural regions can be investigated. This can be used as a future basis for impact monitoring and risk analysis of changing wind patterns across the province.

Discipline: Physical Sciences

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nancy McKeown