Climate Analysis Group Home

Welcome to the Climate Analysis Group (CAG) website. This site contains information on CAG members, research projects that have been developed in partnership with several research institutions, and numerous CAG publications in several key areas.

Scientific objectives of the Climate Analysis Group

Background

Environmental impacts and human activities can be more dependent upon changes in the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme events than on gradual changes in the mean climate. Accordingly, a vital question for Quebec and Canada is to determine whether extreme events will be more frequent, more persistent, and/or more intense in the future.

Scientific interest

In addition to developing mean climate change scenarios, the research interests of the Climate Analysis Group therefore include:
  1. Development of statistical tools for the analysis of extreme hydro-climatic variables (in a non-stationary context);
  2. Detailed analyses of past and recent variability and extremes on the basis of available observations;
  3. Analysis of the variability of atmospheric circulation and its potential links with the occurrence of observed surface extremes (temperature, precipitation and wind);
  4. Development of statistical downscaling tools; and
  5. Ultimately developing high-resolution information on future climate change that meets the needs of impact and adaptation projects in Quebec and Canada.
The scientific content and the development of CAG research projects (described in the Projects section) have been organized according to the above five objectives into the following five project areas: Statistical Analysis, Extreme Events, Variability of Atmospheric Circulation, Statistical downscaling and Climate Scenarios.

Partners

CAG consists of researchers within several university and government research institutions (INRS-ETE, UQÀM, McGill and Environment Canada). The CAG research is conducted in close cooperation with these various partners, as well as in collaboration with the Ouranos Consortium for access to Canadian Regional Climate Modelling Network simulations and analyses of extremes. This collaboration also includes Environment Canada and the Global Environmental and Climate Change Centre (GEC3) for the development of climate scenarios and the development of a Data Access Interface via a partnership with the Canadian Climate Change Scenarios Network of Environment Canada's Adaptation and Impacts Research Division.