Website: http://www.mrcc.uqam.ca/membre.php?pkMembre=23

Research involves

Increasing the range and physical realism of surface processes represented in the high-resolution Canadian Regional Climate Model

Research relevance

Supporting physically realistic simulations of surface and sub-surface climate processes over Canada, including the Arctic region, and applying these simulations in climate-change assessment studies

Advanced Land-Surface Modelling

Climate change, induced by the increased emission of greenhouse gases, is one of the greatest environmental threats today. These changes are being experienced particularly intensely in the Arctic. The primary tools used to study anticipated climate change are the Coupled Global Climate Models (CGCMs) and Regional Climate Models (RCMs), and the transient climate-change simulations obtained when these models are run.

As Canada Research Chair in Regional Climate Modelling, Dr. Laxmi Sushama has one main research goal: to increase the range and physical realism of surface processes represented in the high-resolution Canadian RCM (CRCM). This will enable more accurate simulations of the surface/sub-surface climate over North America, including the Canadian Arctic. In particular, a number of important feedback processes known to play an important role in high-latitude areas of Canada will now be included in the CRCM. This includes permafrost, dynamic vegetation, lakes and rivers—all of which will be modelled directly within the CRCM.

The system developed by Sushama will be applied in climate-change assessment studies and will contribute to providing a solid platform from which Canadian provincial and federal governments can develop strategies to adjust to and plan for future climate change.