Jason Burford
Research Associate
University of Northern British Columbia
Present Research:
Examining factors that affect the Quesnel River Basin. The Quesnel River drains an area of ˜11,500 km2 of mountainous terrain within central British Columbia and is a major tributary of the Fraser River. It is also one of the major breeding grounds for Pacific salmonoids. It is therefore crucial to determine the impact of climate variability and climate change on surface runoff in the Quesnel River Basin. Observed surface runoff at 14 gauge locations within the Quesnel River watershed will be investigated over the period 1926-2004. Typical as well as anomalous periods will be examined on daily, monthly, seasonal and annual time scales. Preliminary results indicate increasing annual discharge amounts over the study period and also a tendency toward an earlier spring freshet The non-parametric Mann- Kendall test will be applied to river discharge data at the 14 gauges to determine the impact of terrain and elevation on streamflow trends within the Quesnel River Basin. We will also inspect trends in surface air temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and in large-scale atmospheric teleconnection patterns such as ENSO and PDO to determine their effects on the water budget of the Quesnel River watershed.
Past Research/Employment
2003 - 2004 Self Employed Contractor
Prepared a report and a presentation for Environment Canada on the data requirements for ecologists conducting research in the far North.
- Conducted several interviews with ecologists in Vancouver and Edmonton
- Created software to analyse and display relevant climatological information
2001 - 2003 York University
Worked on a study of clouds and precipitation over Ft. Simpson, NWT during the Canadian GEWEX Enhanced Study (CAGES).
- Analysis of meteorological, climate model and radar information during CAGES as well as long-term periods using various data processing and graphics software packages.
- Preparation of 2 articles for journal submission
1998 - 2001 Midtech Computer Solutions
Worked on a regional study of the climate system during the 1994/95 water year over the Mackenzie Basin.
- Developed software to analyse hydrometeorological variables, computing spatial and temporal averages and displaying the results using different software packages.
- Contributions to writing and creating graphics for scientific journal articles.
1996 - 1998 Self Employed Contractor
Mackenzie GEWEX Study (MAGS) Research Scientist contracts for Environment Canada.
- Investigated cloud climatology of the Mackenzie Basin using regional and global datasets.
- Conducted research on the water cycle and related processes over the Mackenzie Basin.
- Attended the MAGS workshop in Montreal, November 1998.
