Ross Brown

Cryosphere Scientist

Climate Processes Section at Ouranos Inc. (Montreal, QC)

Current research and/or projects

Development of scientific knowledge to document and understand variability and change in the Canadian cryosphere; contribute to evaluation of the Canadian Regional Climate Model and to the development of climate scenarios at Ouranos

Documenting and understanding variability and change in the climate-cryosphere system (snow cover in particular) at regional, continental and hemispheric scales
Evaluation of cryospheric processes and the representation of the cryosphere in climate and hydrological models
Development of snow cover datasets for climate monitoring and evaluation of climate and hydrological models

Professional activities / interests

Contributing author to IPCC 2nd, 3rd and 4th assessments

Reviewer for J. Climate, JGR, GRL, Intl. J. Climatology, Hydrological Processes, J. Hydrometeorology

Vice-President and President, Eastern Snow Conference 1997-1999

Education and awards

M.Sc. Climatology, McGill University, Montreal, 1980

B.A. Hon. 1st Class, Geography, Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1978

Key publications

Brown, R.D. and P. Mote. 2009. The response of Northern Hemisphere snow cover to a changing climate. J. Climate. 22:2124-2145.

Déry, S.J. and R.D. Brown. 2007. Recent Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent trends and implications for the snow-albedo feedback. Geophys. Res. Letters, 34:L22504.

Brown, R., C. Derksen and L. Wang. 2007. Assessment of spring snow cover duration variability over northern Canada from satellite datasets. Remote Sensing of Environment. 111:367-381.

Brown, R.D., B. Brasnett and D. Robinson. 2003. Gridded North American monthly snow depth and snow water equivalent for GCM evaluation. Atmosphere-Ocean. 41:1-14.

Brown, R.D. 2000. Northern Hemisphere snow cover variability and change, 1915-1997. J. Climate. 13:2339-2355.

Brown, R.D. and B.E. Goodison. 1996. Interannual variability in reconstructed Canadian snow cover, 1915-1992. J. Climate. 9:1299-1318.

Brown, R.D. and P. Cote. 1992. Interannual variability of landfast ice thickness in the Canadian High Arctic, 1950-89. Arctic. 45:273-284.