Climate forcing factors and the record of climatic variability in the western Canadian Arctic during the past 2000 years

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: physical sciences, climatology, hydrology, prediction models, sediment

Principal Investigator: Tomkins, Jessica (2)
Licence Number: 13934
Organization: Queen's University
Licensed Year(s): 2006 2005
Issued: Feb 01, 2006
Project Team: Jessica Tomkins (Principal Investigator, Queen's University), Dr. Scott Lamoureux (Investigator, Queen's University), Anna Pienkowski-Furze (Investigator, University of Alberta)

Project Description: The main goal of this research is to use lake sediment records to examine changes in weather conditions and river discharge in the western Canadian Arctic during the past 2000 years, which will aid in understanding current conditions and forecasting future conditions. The research team will reach the study location by airplane from Resolute, Nunavut, and will be on site from late May to early June (approximately one week). A camp comprising of three personal tents and a cook tent, housing a propane stove and electric generator, will be established. Sediment cores will be obtained from the study lake by making holes in the lake ice using an ice auger. The cores will then be collected from the lake using a vibracore (concrete vibrator) coring system. Approximately 100 kg of sediment in a series of sediment cores (7 cm diameter and 20 cm to 3 m in length) will be extracted. All sediment cores, field equipment and camping gear will be removed from site when the fieldwork is complete. A spill kit will be available in case of fuel spills from the generator or coring system, and fuel will be stored at a distance from the lake. The results of this study will be communicated to the communities of Holman and Sachs Harbour through a summary of our field activities and copies of any papers and reports that result from this research. The Aurora Research Institute, Environmental Impact Screening Committee and Inuvialuit Land Authority will also receive copies of any publications resulting from this work. The study will be conducted at an unnamed lake (74º 50’ N, 113º 30’ W) on Dundas Peninsula, Melville Island from 25 May to 3 June, 2006.