New Study Reveals Four Decades of Solar Radiation Trends Across the Northwest Territories

ReSEC is proud to share the publication of a new paper co-authored by our group members in the Journal of Climate, titled “Trend Analysis of Surface Shortwave (Solar) Radiation in Continental Northwest Territories, Canada (1980–2023).” This study provides one of the first long-term assessments of solar radiation trends across the Northwest Territories, a key driver of lake energy balance and ecosystem change in northern environments. Using more than four decades of Daymet, ERA5, and Landsat data, the team revealed striking east–west differences: western ecozones such as the Taiga Cordillera and Taiga Plains experienced declining solar radiation, while eastern regions such as the Taiga Shield showed increases. The research also uncovered complex interactions between cloud cover, lake size, and solar inputs—highlighting that small lakes respond differently to radiation changes than large northern lakes. These findings deepen our understanding of northern climate dynamics and provide critical insights for communities and decision-makers who depend on healthy lake systems.

Read the full article here