The Effects of the Non-Climatic Inhomogeneities in Surface Weather Station Records on Long Term Trends in Canadian Fire Weather Index System Codes.

With a wide interest in the effects of climate change on forest fire regimes, there has been a proliferation of studies analyzing the past fire weather trends using daily surface weather stations data. However, not all studies take account of such data's inherent inconsistencies (inhomogeneities) from non-climatic influences. This study shows their influence on the linear trends in the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System (CFFWIS) codes, commonly used as a fire weather proxies worldwide. Trend significance of up to 50\% of the Canadian weather stations considered was affected if computed using the homogenized data instead of the raw inhomogeneous records. Duff Moisture Code (DMC) is the most resistant to weather record inhomogeneities, followed by the Drought Code (DC). Monthly Drought Code (MDC) is recommended as an optimal fire weather proxy for long term analysis, as monthly data homogenization produces results that are superior to daily data homogenization.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Tsinko, Yulia

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Johnson, Edward

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Martin, Yvonne
• Yackel, John
• Theodor, Jessica

• Ecology

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/28120

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/2964