NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Principal Investigator: Overpeck, Jonathan
Licensed Year(s): 1993 1991 1989
Summary: The goal of our ongoing project is to collect samples of mud from the bottom of several undisturbed lakes on southern Baffin Island. In the laboratory, we will then examine the chemistry, texture and fossils found in this mud in an effort to document how the environment (mainly climate) of this region has changed over the past 2000 years. We hope that this work will eventually aid efforts to imp...

Principal Investigator: Kah, Linda
Licensed Year(s): 1994 1993
Summary: Stromatolites are variously shaped mounds or reefs composed of sediments and the fossilized remains of single-celled marine organisms called blue-green algae. There are massive fossil reefs located on Baffin Island which are some of the largest known of their age. By studying the structure, form and chemical make-up of these reefs, information about the ancient ocean and the growth of ancient re...

Principal Investigator: Johnston, Paul A.
Licensed Year(s): 1992
Summary: The researcher and his team will look for fossils of reef animals. Notes will be taken on the growth positions of the reef animals, and about 400 kg of fossils will be collected by hand or with hammers and chisels from various localities. The fossils will be brought back to the Royal Tyrrell Museum and used to make molds. Casts from these molds will be used to make an exhibit showing a three-di...

Principal Investigator: Marino, Bruno D.
Licensed Year(s): 1992
Summary: The researcher will sample plants and shells containing records of the stable isotopic composition of the constituents in the environment that are used for growth. The natural abundance of the stable isotopes of carbon in atmospheric CO2 and in dissolved groundwater as well as the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in water can be related to climatic factors. Thus, these isotope ratios in shells and p...

Principal Investigator: Stearn, Colin W.
Licensed Year(s): 1992
Summary: The researcher and his team will collect fossil stromatoporoids from intervals of the Devonian succession of carbonate rocks. Carbonates of early Middle Devonian age are known to be available on Truro Island but have not been extensively collected for stromatoporoids. These will be revisited to improve collections from this interval....

Principal Investigator: Cumbaa, S.L.
Licensed Year(s): 1992
Summary: The researcher and his team will look for bones of fishes, reptiles and mammals that can help us understand better the kinds of environments that were present in the Arctic between 70 and 45 million years ago....

Principal Investigator: Fyles, John G.
Licensed Year(s): 1992 1991 1990
Summary: The researcher will revisit the "beaver peat" locality and will measure, describe, photograph and sample the exposed peaty material in greater detail than before. A detailed search will be made for fossil bones and beaver-gnawed sticks, as well as for additional fossils. Other sites where similar substrates containing fossil wood or other plant materials will also be visited (or revisited)....

Principal Investigator: Harrison, J. Christopher
Licensed Year(s): 1992 1991
Summary: A continuing project, the researchers will define the nature of the solid earth that makes up the bedrock beneath the Arctic Islands. This involves the examination of existing maps and air-photographs, the identification of rock types in the field, the measurement of the orientation of rock layers and similar features with a surveyor's hand held compass and the collection of small samples for addi...

Principal Investigator: LePage, Ben A.
Licensed Year(s): 1992 1991
Summary: The research will compare genes isolated from fossil trees with homologous contemporary genes to evaluated rates of evolution and reconstruct phylogenies....

Principal Investigator: Melchin, Michael J.
Licensed Year(s): 1992 1991 1990 1988
Summary: The researcher will study the distribution of graptolite and what it reveals about the timing of geologic events and ancient geographic distributions. Study will also be continued on the geographic and ecological distribution of particular graptolite species between the deeper-water sediments of the Hazen Formation and the shallower-water strata of the Cape Phillips Formation....