Impact of Climate Change on Precipitation and Temperature in British Columbia

Running head: GEOGRAPHY 1
Geography
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Geography 2
Essay 5
Introduction
Rising average temperatures and variation in amount of precipitation in British Columbia is
associated with widespread weather pattern variation. Scientific studies show that extreme
weather events such as fluctuating precipitation and heat waves are likely to become more severe
and frequent with climate change. Temperature and precipitation are fundamental features of
climate change that are directly observable and measurable. They are also consistent and reliable
indicators of effects of climate change. This essay focuses on how anthropogenic climate change
is expected to impact on spatial and temporal variation of precipitation and temperature in British
Columbia (Werner, Schnorbus, Shrestha, & Eckstrand, 2013).
Effects of Atmospheric warming on Climate system and Ecosystem
From 1900-2013, British Columbia province temperatures have risen at an average rate of
1.4 ̊C per century in each of the four seasons namely spring, summer, fall and winter. This is
higher than the global average rate which is 0.8 ̊C per century. The report from
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that the high rate of warming in
British Columbia is consistent every year from 1880 to 2012.
Winter has been a season with the highest warming trend in BC with its average
temperature increase of 2.2 ̊C across the province per century. In summer and spring there is
province-wide warming trend whereby warming in each of the province vary from the other. In
the fall there is very little province-wide warming trend. Sub-boreal interior are warmed by 1.0 ̊C
per century while the coastal parts are warmed by 0.6 ̊C to 0.8 ̊C per century. The dates of arrival
at every season changes from one region of BC to the other depending on elevation, climate and

Geography 3
latitude of a place (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2013).
Fig.1. Average temperature increased over all regions of British Columbia from 1900-2013 as
shown by the significantly positive trends which indicate warming.
SOURCE: Analysis of trends for 1900 through 2013 conducted by PCIC, 2014 for the Ministry
of Environment Climate Action Secretariat. Data from Ministry of Environment Climate Related
Monitoring Program and Environment Canada.
Effects of atmospheric warming is associated with increased precipitation and warming of
sea surface in some regions of BC. Climate change influences other physical processes, such as
ice duration on lakes and rivers, temperature in freshwater ecosystems and the ratio of snow to
total precipitation. These effects may also interfere with biological systems such as growth of
aquatic plants and shifting in distribution of species and ecosystems. Some trees may be able to
grow in places that were formerly too cold for them.
Warmer temperatures will have both negative and positive effects on activities of human
being. The impacts will also be different for each side of BC and vary from one season to the
other. Melting ice at the rivers and lakes causes overflow of water leading to flooding. Summer
seasons which will be warmer will increase the rate of transpiration in plants and evaporation.
Increased rates of evaporation reduce soil moisture content thus exposing soils to erosion and