Using Novel Technology to Survey Methane Emissions in the Mackenzie Delta
Principal Investigator: Layden, Ronald E. (5)
Licence Number: 16250
Organization: ARI
Licensed Year(s): 2018
Issued: Apr 04, 2018
Project Team: Dave Risk), Edwin Amos, Andrew Gordon

Objective(s): To map the amount and source of methane in thaw slump sites along the Mackenzie River between Tsiigehtchic and the outer Delta, and upland sites between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.

Project Description: The research team plan to map the amount and source of methane in some or all of the following: 1. Thaw slump sites along the Mackenzie River between Tsiigehtchic and the outer Delta. 2. Upland sites between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk including the following types of areas: a. Former gas production sites; b. Drilling and discovery work sites and pads; and, c. Thaw slumps at pit sites along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH). 3. Delta lakes previously studied by Lesack and other groups looking at methane (CH4) production levels. 4. Local lakes which are known to have gas emissions, which can partially inhibit freezing. 5. Other accessible routes such as the Arctic Red River and the winter route to Aklavik from Inuvik. 6. Active areas from initial surveys may also be subjected to more intensive grid surveys. 7. Other areas of interest. The research team will use the newly develop ExACT (Emissions Attribution via Computational Techniques) system, a completely novel and innovative approach to survey gas emissions from natural and manmade sources. ExACT consists of computer algorithms applied to geo-located multi-gas data collected during vehicle-based surveys. Data collection involves a combination of multi-gas analyzers, targeting several gases of interest such as CO2, CH4, H2S, C2H6 and others, depending on the project. The research team plan to involve students in Inuvik from the Environment and Natural Resources Technology program at the Aurora College. The team will work and meet with local organisations to maximize any benefit from the areas surveyed. The research team will produce a report for the Environmental Studies Research Fund program and provide public information sessions in Inuvik and other locations after the study has been completed. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from April 4, 2018 to July 31, 2018.