NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

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

Tags: airborne, hyperspectral

Objective(s): To encompass the variability in the key types of ecosystems that are both unique to arctic and boreal regions in North America as well as being representative of the larger Northern High Latitude region and collect water and leaf samples to provide “ground truth” references for airborne and satellite imagery.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5949. The NASA Dynamic Aviation King Air B-200 aircraft with a hyperspectral (AVIRIS-III) instrument will re-fly lines in the ABoVE study area. The flight teams will be based out of the Yellowknife airfield. The aircraft flies at an altitude between 5 – 15 km. We hope to fly the AVIRIS-III instrument between July 1 – August 31, 2023. Overall flight coordination will be completed as required through official channels with the U.S. FAA and Transport Canada. These instruments have been cleared by NASA internal safety reviews, and the U.S. FCC has given authority to operate, and similarly in Canada, the Ministry of Industry has approved their operating parameters for the radar system. The instruments will not leave behind any footprint of its use. All sensor systems are fully integrated into the aircraft and no sensor will be deployed outside the aircraft. This remote sensing instrument has been used around the world on various other NASA projects with no environmental impacts ever reported. More detailed operating description of the instrument is available by request. While the flight team is in Yellowknife they plan to host an open house at the FBO for people who would like to meet the flight crew and scientists. The following communities have been emailed with information about this project, offering to answer any questions and address concerns: Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee, Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope), Gwichin Renewable Resources Board, Lustel K’e Dene First Nation, Li´i´dli?i? Ku´e´ First Nation, Behchoko` (Tlicho), Dehcho First Nations, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and Deline Got’ine Government. We have submitted a research application to the Li´i´dli?i? Ku´e´ First Nation Scotty Creek website. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: August 13 - August 31, 2024