REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSPORT

ALUEELLINEN ILMASTON MUUTOS JA LIIKENNE

The impacts of climate change on transport in Finland were studied. The climate models predict a significant wintertime temperature increase in Finland. The report contains a preliminary evaluation of the changes in the ice conditions in the Baltic Sea and in the wintertime road maintenance costs. The ice conditions in the Baltic Sea strongly affect economic activities in Finland. During a normal winter the whole Finnish coast is ice-covered. The use of icebreakers is necessary in order to carry on shipping throughout the year. Model results show that climate change will affect the future ice conditions in the Baltic Sea. In the scope of this study one can assume, using results from climate models (HadCM2) that the ice conditions will get milder during the next century. Severe winters will occur much more seldom, although their occurrence cannot be excluded. The forecasted consequences of the enhanced greenhouse effect on wintertime road maintenance were studied. The research material consisted of winter maintenance costs from Uudenmaa, Turku, Kymi, Vaasa, Hame, Keski-Suomi and Lappi road districts for 1981-1986 winter months. Climatological data were obtained from the Finnish Meteorological Institute's observing stations for the time period 1961--1990. Two future periods, 2010-2039 and 2040-2069, were examined. The predicted future climatological conditions were obtained from numerical atmospheric model simulations made using the so-called HadCM2 numerical atmospheric model. According to the result, the maintenance costs in the future climate would increase in January and February due to an increase in snow removal and saltation costs. In November, December, and March, the costs would decrease, as, especially in November, the amount of snowfall would decrease. The changes in the whole winter period's costs would be small, as the decreasing costs during the early and late winter would compensate the rising costs in the mid winter. As the models become more realistic, the impacts as well as their regional variability can be estimated more reliably.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9517232373
• Corporate Authors:

  MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS FINLAND

  ETELAESPLANADI 16-18
  HELSINKI,   Finland  FIN-00131
• Authors:
  • VENALAINEN, A
  • GRANSKOG, M
  • TUOMENVIRTA, H
• Publication Date: 1999

Language

• Finnish

Media Info

• Pagination: 32 p.
• Serial:
  • PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
  • Volume: A
  • Issue Number: 11/99
  • Publisher: MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS FINLAND
  • ISSN: 0783-2680

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate; Highways; Ice; Ships; Trucks; Winter maintenance
• Geographic Terms: Finland
• ITRD Terms: 8035: Finland; 2755: Highway; 2578: Ice; 1236: Lorry; 1248: Ship; 2545: Weather; 2593: Winter maintenance
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Motor Carriers; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00822048
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• ISBN: 951-723-237-3
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jan 7 2002 12:00AM