Does Ice Boom Alter Buffalo's Climate?
A seasonal ice boom was first installed across the eastern end of Lake Erie in 1964-65 to reduce disruptions of hydroelectric power generation caused by ice flow down the Niagara River. The perception of extended lake ice and cool spring air temperatures is attributed, by some, to the presence of the ice boom. Mark LaRussa and Stephen Vermette, researchers at Buffalo Colleges' Department of Geography and Planning, studied water and air temperatures for the years prior to and after the installation of the ice boom."This study includes the first ever examination of a shoreline temperature data set only about two kilometers from the ice boom," states Vermette.
The study concludes that there is no statistical evidence to support perceptions that the ice boom has retarded ice dissipation or caused cooler air temperatures in the vicinity of Buffalo during the spring months.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study "A Re-examination of the Climatological Impact of the Lake Erie-Niagara Ice Boom on Buffalo, New York," are reported by Mark LaRussa and Stephen Vermette in the latest issue (Volume 31, No. 3, pp. 288-295) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2005.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact A. Stephen Vermette, Department of Geography and Planning, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222; vermetsj@buffalostate.edu; (716) 878-4930.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.
Links
Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.