This series includes maps of projected change in mean precipitation based on CMIP5 multi-model ensemble results for RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, expressed as a percentage (%) of mean precipitation in the reference period. The median projected change across the ensemble of CMIP5 climate models is shown. Maps are provided for three time periods: 2016-2035, 2046-2065 and 2081-2100. For more maps on projected change, please visit the Canadian Climate Data and Scenarios (CCDS) site: https://climate-scenarios.canada.ca/?page=download-cmip5.

Air emissions from oil sands development can come from a number of sources including industrial smokestacks, tailings ponds, transportation, and dust from mining operations. Air quality monitoring under the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for the Oil Sands is designed to determine the contribution of emissions from oil sands activities to local and regional air quality and atmospheric deposition both now and in the future. Deposition data include: - Passive Sampling of PACs deployed for two month periods across a network of 17 sites - Active sampling of PACs at three sites to inform the amount of dry deposition - Particulate metals (24 hour integrated samples following the one in six day National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) cycle)

This map shows the projected change in mean precipitation for 2081-2100, with respect to the reference period of 1986-2005 for RCP8.5, expressed as a percentage (%) of mean precipitation in the reference period. The median projected change across the ensemble of CMIP5 climate models is shown. For more maps on projected change, please visit the Canadian Climate Data and Scenarios (CCDS) site: https://climate-scenarios.canada.ca/?page=download-cmip5.

Patterns of wet deposition of the nitrate (NO3), non-sea-salt sulfate (xSO4) and ammonium (NH4) ions across areas of Canada and the United States are based on measurements of precipitation depth and ion concentrations in precipitation samples. xSO4 refers to the wet deposition of sulfate with the sea-salt sulfate contribution removed at coastal sites. These measurements were collected and quality controlled by their respective networks: in Canada, the federal Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) and provincial or territorial networks in Alberta, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. In the United States, wet deposition measurements were made by two coordinated networks: the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) / National Trends Network (NTN) and the NADP/Atmospheric Integrated Research Monitoring Network (AIRMoN). Only data from sites that were designated as regionally representative were used in the mapping. Wet deposition amounts were interpolated by ordinary kriging using ArcMap Geostatistical Analyst. The map is limited to the contiguous U.S. and southeastern or southern Canada because outside that region, the interpolation error exceeds 30% due to the larger distances between stations. Links to annual and five-year average maps are available in the associated resources.

Annual and five-year (5YA) average wet deposition maps for the ammonium ion are available. The file formats include geodatabase files (*.gdb) compatible with geospatial software (e.g. ESRI ArcGIS) and KMZ files compatible with virtual globe software (e.g. Google Earth™). Maps can also be viewed online via Open Maps and the ArcGIS online viewer. Annual deposition from each site was screened for completeness using the following criteria: (1) precipitation amounts were recorded for >90% of the year and >60% of each quarter, and (2) ammonium concentrations were reported for >70% of the precipitation measured over the year and for >60% of each quarter. Five-year average wet deposition values are averaged annual deposition values with a completeness criterion >60% for the five-year period. Units for wet deposition fluxes are in kg of NH4 per hectare per year (kg ha-1 y-1). Sources of measurement data and spatial interpolation method are described here: https://doi.org/10.18164/e8896575-1fb8-4e53-8acd-8579c3c055c2. Recommended citation: Environment and Climate Change Canada, [year published]. NH4 Wet Deposition Maps. Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [URL/DOI], accessed [date]. Recommended acknowledgement: The author(s) acknowledge Environment and Climate Change Canada for the provision of Canada-U.S. wet deposition kriging maps accessed from the Government of Canada Open Government Portal at open.canada.ca, and the data providers referenced therein.

Daily climate observations are derived from two sources of data. The first are Daily Climate Stations producing one or two observations per day of temperature, precipitation. The second are hourly stations that typically produce more weather elements e.g. wind or snow on ground. Only a subset of the total stations is shown due to size limitations. The criteria for station selection are listed as below. The priorities for inclusion are as follows: (1) Station is currently operational, (2) Stations with long periods of record, (3) Stations that are co-located with the categories above and supplement the period of record.

Statistically downscaled multi-model ensembles of projected change (also known as anomalies) in maximum temperature (°C) are available at a 10km spatial resolution for 1951-2100. Statistically downscaled ensembles are based on output from twenty-four Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models (GCM). Daily maximum temperature from GCM outputs were downscaled using the Bias Correction/Constructed Analogues with Quantile mapping version 2 (BCCAQv2). A historical gridded maximum temperature dataset of Canada (ANUSPLIN) was used as the downscaling target. Projected change in maximum temperature (°C) is with respect to the reference period of 1986-2005. Seasonal and annual averages of projected maximum temperature change to 1986-2005 are provided. Specifically, the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 95th percentiles of the downscaled ensembles of maximum temperature change are available for the historical time period, 1901-2005, and for emission scenarios, RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, for 2006-2100. Twenty-year average changes in statistically downscaled maximum temperature (°C) for four time periods (2021-2040; 2041-2060; 2061-2080; 2081-2100), with respect to the reference period of 1986-2005, for RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 are also available in a range of formats. The median projected change across the ensemble of downscaled CMIP5 climate models is provided. Note: Projections among climate models can vary because of differences in their underlying representation of earth system processes. Thus, the use of a multi-model ensemble approach has been demonstrated in recent scientific literature to likely provide better projected climate change information.

Benthic invertebrates monitoring includes both lotic (rivers/streams) and lentic (wetlands) ecosystems. Aquatic biomonitoring provides a direct measure of change in biotic populations and communities in relation to benchmark or reference conditions and can help identify the ecological effects of cumulative stressors. Used together with the water chemical and physical monitoring components, this program uses an integrated approach to assess whether ecological affects are occurring in response to OS developments. Sampling can include the collection of invertebrates, algal biomass, water chemistry, and appropriate supporting habitat information and is conducted during periods of high abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates. Sampling focuses on near-shore gravel and sand habitats on the Athabasca River, erosional habitats on major tributaries and in wadable areas in deltaic wetlands within the Expanded Geographical Area. As of October 2012, over 80 locations have been visited.

This map shows the projected average change in mean temperature (°C) for 2081-2100, with respect to the reference period of 1986-2005 for RCP8.5. The median projected change across the ensemble of CMIP5 climate models is shown. For more maps on projected change, please visit the Canadian Climate Data and Scenarios (CCDS) site: https://climate-scenarios.canada.ca/?page=download-cmip5

Seasonal and annual multi-model ensembles of projected change (also known as anomalies) in sea ice thickness, based on an ensemble of twenty-six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models are available for 1900-2100. Projected change in sea ice thickness is with respect to the reference period of 1986-2005 and expressed as a percentage (%). The 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 95th percentiles of the ensemble of sea ice thickness change are available for the historical time period, 1900-2005, and for emission scenarios, RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, for 2006-2100. Twenty-year average changes in sea ice thickness (%) for four time periods (2021-2040; 2041-2060; 2061-2080; 2081-2100), with respect to the reference period of 1986-2005, for RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 are also available in a range of formats. The median projected change across the ensemble of CMIP5 climate models is provided. Note: Projections among climate models can vary because of differences in their underlying representation of earth system processes. Thus, the use of a multi-model ensemble approach has been demonstrated in recent scientific literature to likely provide better projected climate change information.