The climate changes. The weather conditions change. THE Globe heats up – And that includes the big lakes.
The five north -American lakes interconnected in fresh water attract a significant study in summer, but they are not such a magnet in winter – and a group of scientists says that this must change as air and water temperatures increase, resulting in a shorter winter season.
In the current state of things, almost all lake surveillance is carried out in the spring, in summer and early fall when there is easier access to research ships and Equipment like buoys.
But no matter the season, a researcher says that it is his experience that the study of the Great Lakes is treated as a second class science.
“It is a little more complicated to study the big lakes because they are so large and that they are underfunded in relation to the oceans,” said Marguerite Xenopoulos, one of the authors of a new report on the fight against research gaps and the improvement of winter sciences on the big lakes.
THE report Released earlier in May, Canadian and American governments, what a group of environmental scientists say should then occur for winter research on the big lakes.
An Advisory Council within the International Mixed Commission (IJC) – a binational organization that helps provide scientific advice to governments on cross -border waterways – wrote the document after two years of study.
He explains why winter sciences are necessary and the obstacles.
“Without winter science, we cannot obtain a complete image of the quality of the water from the big lakes. Winter data, in particular the data from long -term chronological series, are necessary to better understand the impacts of the evolution of winter conditions on the health of the big lakes”, note the authors Part of the IJC report.
Windsor’s morning9:13Scientists say they need more “winter sciences” on the big lakes
Drew Gronewold is an associate professor at school for the environment and sustainability of the University of Michigan.
He says that the winter measures of the lakes are essential to save human lives and protect the ecosystem.
There are currently certain resources devoted to the problem: satellite information and the use of underwater temperature readers called thermistances rooted at the bottom of the lakes.
But, he says, monitoring of one all year round is necessary due to “dramatic” changes from January to summer months.
“Many large lakes in the world do not undergo the type of the same seasonal changes in terms of temperature, ice formation, even what we would call the content of the heat – it is like the integrated temperature through the depths,” said Gronewold.
He points to ice cover In winter and its impact on the evaporation that occurs in spring and summer, saying: “This can then affect the amount of water in the following fall.”
By referring to it as a “master variable” of the great lakes, Xenopoulos, professor of biology at the University of Trent and member of the IJC, explains that the ICE coverage controls a certain number of factors, such as oxygen in water.
Less ice can also lead to warmer water and the largest risk of low levels of dissolved oxygen, known as hypoxia.
“Of course, fish do not like (have) oxygen. This is one of the reasons why we have to continue to study winter and connect it to summer conditions.”
The hottest winters not only affect the amount of ice on the lakes, but they also have an impact on the amount of water flowing – bringing more phosphorus, the most bioavailable nutrient, she says.
“Although it has not yet been directly linked, it could be one of the reasons why we now see more seaweed flourishing Superior LakeWhich is really unexpected, “she said.” It is a very virgin lake. “”
New study of winter sciences
Xenopoulos says that it is expensive to capture the spatial variability of the big lakes and that the lakes require a lot of complicated infrastructure – even more in winter.
“The infrastructure is not necessarily there, so we need ice rupture capacities to sample … It is dangerous, it requires special training.”
Another obstacle in the way of extending surveillance, the increased danger in winter is, said Xenopoulos.
“Some of the first data we are looking for () at the moment that we are going to publish soon, show that there are (more) more winter drownings than there are summer drownings. And it is because the ice may seem safe, but this is not the case. Ice is a good thing, but it is very dangerous.”
According to Xenopoulos, in the past five years approximately, there has also been a wave of winter limnology – the study of lakes and other freshwater bodies.
“During the longest, we thought that the lakes were dormant in winter. Life was motionless or slept. I think (in part) for this reason, winter was sub-studied.”
Lake health monitoring, climate variation
Mike McKay says winter is the season we know the least, but the season is changing the fastest.
However, the environmental researcher at the University of Windsor – who also sat on the IJC advisory panel for the winter sciences – says that there are already some examples of winter sampling, especially with the use of coastal caregivers in the Windsor region, Ontario.
He says it has been going on since 2009 and gives an overview of what the lake could look like the future.
“We get this extreme variability and with the years of record low ice that occur at a higher frequency now, we start to see … A window on what many think is a future lake without ice,” said McKay Windsor’s morning Animator Amy Dodge.
When lakes like Erie do not freeze regularly as they did before, Xenopoulos says that it can also lead to greater humidity in the air, which causes a lake effect.
“This can cause snowfall large ice cream. Especially in areas like Buffalo … so there is also that you worry.”
When the lakes freeze, Gronewold says that they also serve as a barrier, protecting the shores of coastal communities.
“When there is less ice in winter, when these storms enter, it can considerably exacerbate erosion.”
According to Gronewold, ice cover can also serve as a stabilizer to protect Frai habitats for whitefish and other organisms.
Government scientific financing
Canadians re -elected a liberal government during the recent federal elections, although a minority, although it is not yet difficult, which could mean for the funding of research on the big lakes.
On the American side of the Great Lakes, hundreds of meteorological forecasters and other employees of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were released late February.
McKay says that the movements are concerned with other potential cuts linked to the science of the Trump administration.
“Unfortunately, surveillance of surveillance is often one of the first things to cut when budgets are tight, especially when there is no big problem, a crisis, who you are dealing with,” said McKay.
Gronewold claims that the scientific information of the IJC report is largely based on existing funding through federal agencies.
Xenopoulos says that she is trying to remain optimistic about future funding and winter surveillance: “We want to do it and we want to collaborate.”
The IJC physical scientist, Matthew Child, also maintains hope for longer -term progress on winter sciences.
“Consciousness is in place,” he said. “The project itself is in a way boring, but intellectual production … Both of the agency and on the academic side, the capacity of the staff is being developed and I think that many of us thought it was quite encouraging.”