Changes in bioclimatic conditions on the coast of the Labrador Peninsula in the late 19th/early 20th century

Abstract

The contemporary warming that we are observing on Earth is most intense in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic. Until the mid-20th century, human impact on the Arctic environment and climate was small, so it is extremely important to understand these past conditions as best as possible in order to better understand current and future changes. To date, there has been little work analysing the climate of the Labrador coast dating back to the late 19th/early 20th century. In the case of bioclimatic studies, there are even fewer such works. The main aim of this paper is to fill this gap. Changes in bioclimatic conditions in the northeastern part of the Labrador Peninsula were estimated based on meteorological observations (air temperature, atmospheric pressure and wind speed) taken from six stations: Hebron, Hoffenthal, Nain, Okak, Rama and Zoar. They were carried out three times a day (8:00, 14:00 and 20:00) by Moravian missionaries on behalf of Deutsche Seewarte and in accordance with its standardised guidelines. Based on these meteorological data, the following bioclimatic indices were performed and analysed: Wind Chill Temperature (WCT), Insulation Predicted (Iclp) and atmospheric pressure stimulus. Bioclimatic conditions in the historical period were compared with the conditions occurring in the modern period on the Labrador Peninsula.