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Using Historical Maps to Help Make Current Decisions | |
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From the June 8, 2009 Issue of Agri-News | |
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| | Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development's website contains lots of information for those in the agriculture industry, including literally thousands of maps.
"These maps contain all sorts of information related to climate and current conditions," says Ralph Wright, soil moisture specialist, Alberta Agriculture, Edmonton. "Precipitation, temperatures, snow pack, soil moisture - these are just some of the areas the maps cover."
In addition to the maps that show current conditions and trends, there are historical maps that date as far back as 1961.
"These historical maps can be very useful for understanding the current trends," says Wright. "If you want to know what this year might look like, you can go back and look at the old maps to try and help put current patterns into perspective. The maps can help visitors answer a wide variety of questions. For example, in past years did low growing season accumulations follow low overwinter precipitation accumulations? What are the wettest months in the year and how much precipitation falls on average in each month? Or, how much precipitation occurs during the growing season during a one-in-five-year dry spell? How are soil moisture reserves in my area now? Just how cold was it last month?"
Wright says the map collection can even be a help when it comes to making marketing decisions. "Perhaps it's dry in your area, but what is it like 100 kilometers away? It's very useful to know what's happening around the province where your markets may be."
The moisture maps can also be very helpful when it comes to making insurance decisions. "The maps can show you what the historical trends have been for your area," says Wright. "If there's a strong gradient of precipitation in your area, for example, the maps will show that. And that sort of knowledge can be very helpful when it comes to deciding on insurance."
"Perhaps the most important thing about this map collection is that it is continually growing and evolving," says Wright. "Ever week we add up to forty new maps describing current trends. These can be a real help for visitors who want to see how conditions are developing."
To access the maps, go to www.agric.gov.ab.ca/acis and click on the quick viewer tab near the top of the page.
Contact:
Ralph Wright
780-427-3556 |
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Ralph Wright.
This document is maintained by Rita Splawinski.
This information published to the web on June 3, 2009.
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