NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, North Slave Region

Tags: physical sciences, geology, gravity

Objective(s): This work is part of a larger national activity that provides the framework for an updated Canadian Gravity Standardization Network (CGSN) and will ensure that the NWT maintains a consistent gravity reference datum common with Canada.

Project Description: This work is part of a larger national activity that provides the framework for an updated Canadian Gravity Standardization Network (CGSN) and will ensure that the NWT maintains a consistent gravity reference datum common with Canada. The 2009 AG field campaign will focus primarily on Northern Canada and includes measurements at 4 gravity sites within municipalities of the NWT. In terms of possible future work, the modernized CGSN has been designed to consider other relevant objectives such as longer-term monitoring for factors driving height changes at individual stations. Nationally, the priority for repeated observations will be determined based upon the potential societal and scientific benefit. For the NWT, through mutual active partnerships with programs of the Earth Sciences Sector of NRCan, this data coupled with precise GPS measurements and tide gauge observations could ultimately contribute to regional relative sea-level change studies and related coastal impact assessments. Very high precision measurements of the acceleration due to gravity at the Earth's surface are the focus of this survey activity. The "absolute gravimeter" (AG) instrument used in this project is capable of measuring the gravity at a point on the Earth's surface to a precision of one-part-per-billion. For this activity, 2 or 3 persons will be transported by chartered aircraft with approximately 800kg of survey equipment including the absolute gravimeter. However, no research or measurements will be done from aircraft. All survey measurements will be carried out on-the-ground within municipal boundaries. The AG requires a continuous 24-hour series of observations and may be operated within a tent. The survey instruments are all portable and will be removed following any measurement. Therefore no significant short or long-term negative impacts would be anticipated from these surveys. Observations from the CGSN modernization surveys will be archived on the publically-accessible CSRS database. No significant scientific publications are expected from this initial survey. However, some form of “in-house” reports that outline the rationale and survey progress for this CGSN modernization effort are likely to be produced. It is possible that these reports could be summarized for a forum that targets the geomatics and/or surveying communities. These reports can be forwarded to Aurora Research Institute as completed. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 01 to September 30, 2009, within the following four communities: 1 - Inuvik (existing survey point at the Atmospheric Environment Services hangar) 2 - Yellowknife (existing survey point at NRCan's seismic monitoring building) 3 - Ulukhaktok (new observation to be made within community) 4 - Norman Wells (new observation to be made within community) All research will be conducted within municipal boundaries.