Mackenzie GEWEX Study (MAGS)

MAGS is a series of large-scale hydrological and related atmospheric and land-atmosphere studies to be conducted within the Mackenzie Basin in Canada. Results from MAGS will provide an improved understanding of cold region, high latitude hydrological and meteorological processes, and the role that they play in the global climate system.

MAGS has the following objectives:

• Conduct field "point" studies to understand physical phenomena, such as snow and ice processes, permafrost, and arctic clouds and radiation interactions
• Relate these physical processes to variables which can be used in hydrologic and atmospheric models at the "basin" scale
• Using these basin scale studies, develop physically based parameterization schemes suitable for meso- to macro- scale modeling
• Incorporate parameterization schemes into hydrologic-atmospheric models

MAGS research began within government laboratories in 1992 and within some universities in 1994. The Beaufort and Arctic Storms Experiment (BASE), was conducted near Inuvik during the fall of 1994, and was the first major intensive field project to address MAGS objectives.

For More Information:

MAGS Point of Contact

Dr. Lawrence Martz
Chair, MAGS Science Committee
University of Saskatchewan
College of Arts and Sciences
Saskatoon S7N 5A5 Canada
E-mail:  martz@sask.usask.ca