PhD project in cold regions hydrology (2)
Description
Water footprint of hydropower produced in cold regions in a changing climate
More than two-thirds of the world's renewable electricity comes from hydropower. However, like all energy sources, hydropower has hydroclimatic impacts that need to be assessed. Flooding an area following the construction of a dam alters the water balance downstream. Water in reservoirs waiting to be used in turbines is then exposed to the atmosphere and may evaporate, making it unavailable for power generation. The (blue) water footprint of hydropower is an environmental indicator that quantifies the water "lost" to evaporation during the production of a unit of energy. This approach requires the use of the concept of net evaporation, which subtracts the evaporation from the reservoir from the evaporation that occurred in the reservoir area prior to its creation. In cold regions, the presence of ice on reservoirs for several months of the year acts as a barrier that temporarily isolates the water in the reservoir from the air at the surface, slowing the transfer of water vapor to the atmosphere, which is then limited to sublimation. With climate change, the longevity of reservoir ice cover will decrease, with potentially significant impacts on the water footprint of hydropower that need to be quantified.
The main objective of this project is to improve the understanding of reservoir processes in cold regions to support the calculation of the water footprint of hydropower in a changing cryosphere. The model at the center of this project, based on in situ observations of the Romaine hydroelectric complex in eastern Canada, is the Canadian Small Lake Model. In particular, we aim to test and improve the model's ice representation, explore its use in distributed mode, and investigate the impact of lateral energy inputs on the calculation of the water footprint.
Research Field
- Evaporation
- Hydropower reservoir
- Boreal region
- Limnology
- Ice
- Snow
- Modelling
- Surface energy budget
- Hydrometeorology
- Climate change
Research Supervisor
Daniel Nadeau
Research Environment
Departement of Civil and Water Engineering
Université Laval (ULaval) is the oldest French-speaking university in North America. It is home to some 48,000 students in 17 faculties, 60 departments and schools, and nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate programs in all fields of knowledge. Université Laval offers strong graduate programs in northern research.
Web Site
Financial Aid Available by Program of Study
Doctorate in Water Engineering
Program descriptionFinancial Aid Available*
Financial Aid Related to Research Project
$26000 per year for 4 years.
Funding of 26,000 CAD/year available for 4 years. Possible start date: September 2024 or January 2025. The student will be supervised by Professor Daniel Nadeau (Université Laval) and co-supervised by Dr. Biljana Music (Ouranos).
Program-Specific Financial Aid
Graduate Studies Awards
| Milestone |
Amount |
Progression scholarship
|
7 x $500 |
Doctoral exam or seminar presentation
|
$750 |
Doctoral exam, seminar or conference
|
$1,000 |
Publication
|
$750 |
Communication
|
$1,000 |
First submission of dissertation
|
$1,000* |
| Total |
$8,500 |
*A $500 bonus will be added to the graduation scholarship if the initial submission is made before the semester preceding the final qualifying semester.
Université Laval: Student Financial Aid
Supplemental Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship Program: Entitles international students to pay Canadian student tuition fees, for overall savings of around $40,000.
* Amounts shown represent maximum financial aid available. Certain conditions apply. Subject to change without prior notice. For further information, contact sponsoring organizations directly.
Desired Profile
- Forestry, Geography and Geomatics
- Science and IT
- Engineering
- Civil and Water Engineering
- Water Engineering
Requirements and Conditions
- MSc degree in engineering, physics, limnology, environmental sciences or geography
- Experience in numerical modeling desirable
- Motivation, teamwork and communication skills
- Programming experience (Python, R, Matlab or equivalent)
- Driver's license
Required Documentation
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitæ
- Student transcript
Please send an e-mail to Prof. Daniel Nadeau (daniel.nadeau@gci.ulaval.ca) and Dr. Biljana Music (music.biljana@ouranos.ca) with your CV, a short cover letter, examples of previous research (M.Sc. thesis or published articles), and the names of two references.
Application Deadline
May 1, 2024
Find Out More
Daniel Nadeau
Professeur titulaire
Département de génie civil et de génie des eaux
daniel.nadeau@gci.ulaval.ca