Environmental and Sea Level Change in the Northwestern Arctic Archipelago
Principal Investigator: England, John H (15)
Licence Number: 13658
Organization: University of Alberta
Licensed Year(s): 2012 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Issued: Jun 16, 2004
Project Team: Jonathan D

Objective(s): This research is concerned with the nature and style of past glaciations as well as the history of sea level and climatic changes. The broad objective is to obtain a long-term paleoclimatic record from these former ice and sea level conditions. It will help to determine what past climatic conditions favoured the buildup and removal of former ice sheets in the western Arctic, and may provide insight on recent global warming, especially regarding the possibility of further reducing the remaining glaciers and sea ice cover. Sea level rise is widespread in the western islands, and other factors that are contributing to it, such as the ongoing lowering of the coastlines themselves, are being documented. High latitude areas such as the Canadian High Arctic provide diverse records of past global changes since they are generally the first regions to be affected by climate variability. A small research team will be mapping and surveying ancient shorelines that are now far inland and above modern sea level. The research team hopes to be able to provide communities with a better understanding of coastal processes that are likely to occur in the future as a result of sea level change.