Portions of Universal Transverse Mercator Zones 7 - 12 which cover British Columbia, Northern Hemisphere only, formed into polygons, in BC Albers projection

The data represents the annual solar radiation in Alberta over the 30-year period from 1971 to 2000. A 30-year period is use to describe the present climate since it is enough time to filter out short-term fluctuation by is not dominated by any long-term trend in the climate. Daily total incoming solar radiation is measured in megajoules per square metre (MJ/m2). Southern Alberta receives the greatest amount of annual global solar radiation with the amount gradually decreasing as you move farther north. However, cropping is successful in the northern (Peace River) area of Alberta because the longer summer day length helps compensate for the less intense solar radiation. Cloud cover in the mountains will reduce the amount of solar radiation received there.The amount of solar radiation received at the earth's surface varies with two factors that depend on latitude: the angle of the sun's rays and the hours of daylight. The distance from the equator, and therefore the intensity of the sun's radiation has the greatest effect on climate. Canada's position in the northern portion of the earth's northern hemisphere means that it receives less solar radiation compared to countries near the equator. The northward decrease in solar radiation is also noticeable within Alberta. Temperatures are generally higher in southern Alberta in comparison to northern Alberta because the south receives more solar radiation. This resource was created using ArcGIS.

Past wind directions are mapped from stabilized sand dunes in Canada and the northern United States. The map shows the near-surface wind directions responsible for transporting sand when the dunes were active. The directions were mapped by interpreting the orientation of parabolic dunes from open-sourced Lidar (light detection and ranging) derived digital terrain models. The map also shows new dune areas that add to the existing knowledge of dune fields in North America. The interpreted wind directions provide insight into the past atmospheric circulation patterns that occurred during the deglaciation of North America and the transition to modern circulation patterns that occur today.

Since 1979, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has conducted near-annual mackerel egg surveys in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence using a standardized methodology. This survey typically takes place over approximately 10 days in June and aims to quantify mackerel eggs, thereby contributing to the stock assessment of the northern contingent. Sampling is conducted at 66 fixed stations arranged in a predefined grid (see included image for station locations and names). Additional stations—following the same sampling methodology—have also been surveyed off of southwestern Newfoundland, eastern Cape Breton and south of Prince Edward Island, as well as in other regions. The mackerel survey is often coordinated with the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP) for the Quebec region, which takes place around the same time using the same research vessel and similar equipment. While these two surveys are distinct, they are coordinated to complement each other.At each station, a tow using 61 cm bongo nets (333 µm mesh size) is towed following a saw-tooth profile through the upper 50 m of the water column. Tows last approximately 10 minutes at a speed of roughly 2.5 knots. These tows target mackerel eggs and larvae but collect other species and plankton stages. The taxonomic identification and classification of the developmental stages of the samples are then carried out in the laboratory. The number of taxon counted varies between survey years, based on new species encountered and identified. Egg development stages (I–V) are recorded only for mackerel.This dataset includes the records of all ichthyoplankton species sampled during the survey. It includes information for each sampling station, including gear specifications, species identifications, and life history stages. Each unique combination of COLLECTOR_STATION_NAME, COLLECTOR_EVENT_ID, START_DATE, START_LAT and START_LON represents a single sampling event, and all rows sharing this combination correspond to individual samples collected during that event.The dataset covers the period from 1983 to 2024 and is updated annually as new data become available.It is important to note that prior to 2023, nearly all species were systematically counted, with only a few exceptions where presence alone was recorded. However, since 2023, data collection has shifted to presence/absence for all species, except capelin larvae, herring larvae, and mackerel eggs and larvae, which continue to be counted.Note – raw data use with caution – please contact the author if you have any questions.The data processing methods used for the stock assessment are described in detail in the following publication:Lehoux, C., Van Beveren, E., and Plourde, S. 2024. Results of the Mackerel (Scomber scombrus L.) Egg Surveys Conducted in the Southern Gulf of St Lawrence from 1979 to 2022. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2024/037. v + 47 p.https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/Publications/ResDocs-DocRech/2024/2024_037-eng.html

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. They are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as those of the Baltic and North Seas. In Canada, they may be found off the coastal waters of British Columbia, Nunavut, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.Population trends and abundance of harbour seals in British Columbia are assessed based on aerial surveys conducted during 1966-2019. Based on counts conducted in Index Areas distributed throughout the province, the trend observed in the Strait of Georgia appears to be generally indicative of harbour seal populations throughout British Columbia. Total abundance of harbour seals on the B.C. coast in 2008 was estimated to be on the order of about 105,000 (95% confidence interval of 90,900 to 118,900) seals. Total abundance was re-estimated in 2022 (estimate and CI pending completion of CSAS process). Historic reconstructions indicate the population was depleted by a period of commercial harvesting during 1879-1914, and subsequently maintained below natural levels by predator control programs until the early 1960s. Already depleted, the population could not sustain a second period of intense commercial harvesting during 1962-1968 and was further depleted, but now appears to have fully recovered.

The Plains, Northern, Foothills Boundary feature class contains polygon features representing Department of Energy Regional Boundaries for the Province of Alberta.

The Oil and Gas Rights dataset contains the digital boundaries for existing exploration licences, significant discovery licences, production licences, former permits, former leases and the Norman Wells Proven Area. These boundaries are available for download on the Northern petroleum pesources Website at https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100036087/1538585604719.The Oil and Gas Rights dataset is Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) primary source for northern petroleum titles geographic location on maps.

1:50,000 habitat mapping for northern caribou in the Itcha and Ilgachuz Mtn. Areas, circa 1986.

Zooplankton data collected during surveys conducted in the central and northern Strait of Georgia, 1996-2018.

The framework of the Cordilleran orogen of northwestern North America is commonly depicted as a 'collage' of terranes - crustal blocks containing records of a variety of geodynamic environments including continental fragments, pieces of island arc crust and oceanic crust.The series of maps available here are derived from a GIS compilation of terranes based on the map first published by Colpron et al. (2007) and more recently revised by Nelson et al. (2013). These maps are presented here in digital formats including ArcGIS file geodatabase (.gdb), shapefiles (.shp and related files), Google Earth (.kmz), as well as graphic files (.pdf). The GIS data includes terrane polygons and selected major Late Cretaceous and Tertiary strike-slip faults. Graphic PDF files derived from the GIS compilation were prepared for the Northern Cordillera (Alaska, Yukon and BC), the Canadian Cordillera (BC and Yukon), Yukon, and British Columbia. These maps are intended for page-size display (\~1:5,000,000 and smaller). Polygons are accurate to \~1 km for Yukon and BC, \~5 km for Alaska. More detailed geological data are available from both BCGC, USGS and YGS websites. Descriptions of the terranes, their tectonic evolution and metallogeny can be found in Colpron et al. (2007), Nelson and Colpron (2007), Colpron and Nelson (2009), Nelson et al. (2013) and references therein.The terrane map project is a collaborative effort of the BC Geological Survey and the Yukon Geological Survey.Distributed from [GeoYukon](https://yukon.ca/geoyukon) by the [Government of Yukon](https://yukon.ca/maps) . Discover more digital map data and interactive maps from Yukon's digital map data collection.For more information: [geomatics.help@yukon.ca](mailto:geomatics.help@yukon.ca)