Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region
| Principal Investigator: | Hadow, Pen (1) |
| Licence Number: | 14459 |
| Organization: | Catlin Arctic Survey |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2009
|
| Issued: | Jan 28, 2009 |
| Project Team: | Pen Hadow (Director, Catlin Arctic Survey), Ann Daniels (Navigator, Catlin Arctic Survey), Martin Hartley (Photographer, Catlin Arctic Survey) |
Objective(s): The objectives of this multifaceted project are: 1) to retrieve an accurate set of snow and ice thickness data over a 1200km transect; 2) to engage the public through daily updates from the ice, to highlight via the news media around the world the importance of the Arctic in our environment; 3) to take the findings from the expedition to the next UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Project Description: This licence is issued for the scientific research application No.995 The objectives of this multifaceted project are: 1) to retrieve an accurate set of snow and ice thickness data over a 1200km transect; 2) to engage the public through daily updates from the ice, to highlight via the news media around the world the importance of the Arctic in our environment; 3) to take the findings from the expedition to the next UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The research being undertaken by the ice team will look to undertake snow and ice thickness measurements using both a ground penetrating radar and daily manual drilling. The radar has been designed specifically for this project and unlike traditional radars, it is able to determine the difference in snow and ice layers. It is the snow layer that is important for scientists in order for them to accurately predict when the Arctic Ocean sea ice will become only a seasonal feature. The radar itself is dragged behind a sled and every 10cm over the 1200km journey, it sends down a radar pulse which is recorded onto a card reader. Once interpreted it is this data which will be used by the scientific community. On a daily basis the team will also manually drill though the ice and snow in order to obtain actual measurements. This will be done using a manual ice auger and a measuring tape. The team will head off from 80 1' 1"N 140W to the North Geographic Pole. There will be no fuel caches in the ISR. Final papers and reports will be sent to the Aurora Research Institute and included in their library. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from the 80th parallel to the Geographic North Pole from 21-Feb-2009 to 29-May-2009.
