Considering the recent losses observed in Arctic sea-ice and the anticipated future warming due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, sea-ice retreat in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) is expected. As most global climate models do not resolve the CAA region, a fine-resolution regional model is developed to provide a sense of possible changes in the CAA sea-ice. This ice-ocean coupled model is forced with atmospheric data for two time-periods. Results from a historical run (1950-2004)are used to validate the model. The model does well in representing observed sea-ice spatial and seasonal variability, but tends to underestimate summertime ice cover. In the future run (2041-2060), wintertime ice concentrations change little, but the summertime ice concentrations decrease by 45%. The ice thickness also decreases, by 17% in the winter, and by 36% in summer. Based on this study, a completely ice-free CAA is unlikely by the year 2050, but the region could support some commercial shipping.

Resolute Bay, a remote Arctic bay opening into Parry Channel, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, hosts diverse populations of marine mammals and fish at various times each year. These animals migrate through the bay following patterns linked to food availability and oceanographic conditions; however, these patterns are not well understood. The focus of this study was to measure the oceanographic properties of the waters in and around Resolute Bay and to record underwater sounds to obtain marine mammal temporal patterns and ambient sound levels. Results showed the water properties in Resolute Bay differed from the waters outside of the bay. Dissolved oxygen saturation levels in Resolute Bay decreased during ice-covered times, with lowest levels between May and July. Dissolved oxygen was replenished after the ice left the bay. Sudden changes in salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were observed in Resolute Bay when outside waters entered. Mean third-octave band sound pressure levels were 85.3 dB re 1 μPa during high ice concentration, and 95.6 dB re 1 μPa during ice-free and freeze-up periods, and reached a maximum of 145.3 dB re 1 μPa when vessels were present. Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) and narwhals (Monodon monocero) were only present in periods of low ice concentration, while bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) and ringed seals (Pusa hispida) remained throughout the entire year. / Graduate / 2018-07-01

The tectonic evolution of northern Ellesmere Island is dominated by the accretion of the Pearya Terrane and the progressive reworking of materials from the Pearya Terrane and the northern Caledonides. Geochronology from a suite of seven Succession I orthogneiss samples defines a range of earliest Neoproterozoic ages from 962 ± 6 Ma to 974 ± 8 Ma. Geochemistry of both zircon and whole rock samples reveal a complex magmatic history tapping multiple sources. The rocks include both I and S type granitoids, with silica contents ranging from 62% to 73%. Trace element geochemistry reveals LILE enrichment decoupled from low to depleted HFSE values, suggestive of an origin above a subduction zone. Isotope geochemistry supports input from juvenile and evolved materials, with εNd(i) values between -1 and -4.6, and a similar range for εHf from zircon. The northern elements of the Caledonian Orogen preserve a record of magmatism in the c. 985 Ma to 920 Ma range. These ages are also observed in orthogneiss units of the south central Brooks Range and Farewell terrane, Alaska. The Pearya Terrane orthogneiss units and those currently dispersed in Alaska are interpreted to have originated near or on the eastern margin of Greenland and record post-Rodinia assembly subduction outboard of the supercontinent. Succession II (Trettin, 1987) of the Pearya Terrane represents variably metamorphosed metasedimentary rocks of Proterozoic to early Paleozoic age. These units are structurally juxtaposed with Succession I orthogneiss and Paleozoic sedimentary units of the Pearya Terrane. Detrital zircon age spectra from seven samples of Neoproterozoic meta-sedimentary rocks reveal three groups defined by observed dominant age peaks and youngest observed age populations. Group I includes three quartzite samples and contains numerous c. 1100 Ma to 1800 Ma peaks, with the youngest population at c. 1050 Ma. Two samples of immature meta-sandstone form Group II, defined by a dominant c. 970 Ma age peak. Two samples from the diamictite unit below the Deutchers Glacier thrusts form Group III, with a similar pattern of c. 1000 Ma to 1800 Ma age peaks to Group I; however, this group includes a small population of c. 600 Ma to 700 Ma grains as well. The ubiquitous Mesoproterozoic ages reflect a Grenvillian-Sveconorwegian provenance. These data are consistent with detrital zircon datasets from other North Atlantic-Arctic Caledonide terranes, reinforcing stratigraphic links between the Pearya Terrane and the northern Caledonides. The utility of the Pearya Terrane dataset is multiplied by probable links to Circum-Arctic and Cordilleran terranes, many of which contain similar populations of Mesoproterozic-aged detrital zircon. U/Pb ages and Hf isotopic data from detrital zircon suites sampled from Ordovician to Carboniferous sedimentary rock of the Pearya Terrane and northern Ellesmere Island record define the background for terranes translating along the northeastern Laurentian margin in the Paleozoic. Ordovician to Silurian clastic sediments deposited on the Pearya Terrane record pre terrane accretion provenance dominated by recycling of the metaigneous and metasedimentary Proterozoic basement as well as an Ordovician arc source. The provenance of Late Devonian sediments deposited during the Ellesmerian Orogen is dominated by similar recycled materials, with new sources derived from Paleoproterozoic domains of the Canadian-Greenland shield and documented late Devonian granitoids emplaced the Canadian Arctic Islands and Arctic Alaska. The basal Sverdrup Basin records increasing proportions of Paleoprtoerozoic and Archean aged grains relative to Mesoproterozoic ages, suggestive of increased contributions from the Laurentian craton and no little detritus exotic to Laurentia. Detrital zircon age spectra from Devonian to Carboniferous sediments in the northern Cordilleran clastic wedge and western Canadian Arctic Islands contain abundant exotic zircon likely derived from the Caledonian and Timanian Orogens. This variance of sediment provenance indicates that the eastern Canadian Arctic Island were isolated from non-Laurentian or Caledonian detritus, and that sources of the exotic Timanian zircon reconstruct farther west along the margin.

This dissertation demonstrates novel holistic approaches on how to link policy, clean energy innovations, and robust energy modeling techniques to help build more resilient and cost-effective energy systems for the Canadian Arctic region and remote communities in general. In spite of the diversity among Arctic jurisdictions, various energy issues and challenges are shared pan-territorially in the North. For instance, 53 out of 80 remote communities in the Northern territories rely exclusively on diesel-based infrastructures to generate electricity, with heating oil as their primary source of heat. This critical dependence on fossil fuels exposes the Indigenous peoples and other Canadians living in the North to high energy costs and environmental vulnerabilities which is exacerbated by the local and global catastrophic effects of climate change in the Arctic. Aside from being strong point sources of greenhouse gases and other airborne pollutants, this reliance on carbon-intensive sources of energy elevates risk of oils spills during fuel transport and storage. Further, conventional transportation mode via ice roads is now increasingly unreliable because of the rising Arctic temperatures which is twice the global average rate. As a result, most fuels are being transported by small planes which contribute to high energy costs and fuel poverty rates, or via boats which also increases the risk of oil spills in the Arctic waters. Methodologically, this thesis presents a multi-domain perspective on how to accelerate energy transitions among Northern remote communities. In particular, a multi-objective optimization energy model was developed in order to capture complex trade-offs in designing integrated electrical and thermal energy systems. In comparison with traditional single-objective optimization approach, this technique offers diversity of solutions to represent multiple energy solution philosophies from various stakeholders and practitioners in the North. A case study in the Northernmost community of the Northwest Territories demonstrates the applicability of this framework - from modeling a range of energy solutions (supply and demand side aspects) to exploring insights and recommendations while taking into account uncertainties. Overall, this dissertation makes a set of contributions, including: (i) Development of a robust energy modeling framework that integrates complex trade-offs and multiple overlapping uncertainties in designing energy systems for the Arctic and remote communities in general; (ii) Extension of previous Arctic studies - where focused has solely been on the electricity sector - by integrating heating technology options in the proposed modeling framework in conjunction with methods on obtaining `high performance' buildings in the North; (iii) Overall energy system performance evaluation when integrating heat and electricity sectors, as well as the role of battery storage systems and diesel generator on facilitating variable renewable energy generation among isolated communities; (iv) Formulation of a community-scale energy trilemma index model which helps design policies that are accelerating (or hindering) energy transitions among remote communities by assessing quantitatively challenges relating to energy security, affordability, and environmental sustainability; (v) Synthesized holistic insights and recommendations on how to create opportunities for Indigenous peoples-led energy projects while discussing interwoven links between energy system operations, relationship building and stakeholders engagement, policy design, and research (energy modeling and analysis). Collectively, the new methods and recommendations demonstrated herein offer evidence-based decision making and innovative solutions for policy makers, utility companies, Indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders in the Arctic and beyond. / Graduate

No description available.

Surge-type glaciers experience cyclical variations between long periods of slow flow, followed by shorter periods of rapid flow. These glaciers have been thoroughly analysed in many regions, but detailed studies of surging in the Canadian Arctic are lacking. This thesis provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg and Airdrop glaciers, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. A variety of remotely sensed data, including historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery (e.g., ASTER, Landsat), and synthetic aperture radar data (e.g., ERS-1, ERS-2) were used to quantify changes in terminus position, ice velocity, and ice thickness since the 1950s. A surge initiated at the terminus of Iceberg Glacier in 1981 and terminated in 2003, suggesting an active phase length of 22 years. High surface velocities, peaking at ~2300 m a⁻¹ at the terminus in summer 1991, were accompanied by a terminus advance of >7 km over the period 1981-1997 and a large transfer of mass down-glacier, causing significant median surface elevation changes reaching >3 ± 1 m a⁻¹ across the entire trunk width. The ensuing quiescent period has seen a continual decrease in flow rates to an average centreline velocity of 11.5 m a⁻¹ in 2020-2021, a gradual steepening of the glacier surface, and a terminus retreat of >2.5 km. Observations on Airdrop Glacier show a continuous advance totalling ~6 km since 1950 and notably less variability in its surface velocities in comparison to Iceberg Glacier. This advance can be attributed to consistently high flow rates of Airdrop’s entire surface, resulting in significant thickening near its terminus since at least 1977. However, velocities have more than halved within the last 15 years, but without any clear evidence of previous fast flow events, we cannot confirm whether Airdrop’s behaviour is cyclic in nature and therefore characteristic of a surge. Instead, Airdrop Glacier could be experiencing a delayed response to positive mass balance conditions of the Little Ice Age, and its recent slowdown could be indicative of a gradual adjustment to recent climatic conditions.

A 147cm sediment core from Lake DV09, northern Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada (75° 34’34”N, 89° 18’55”W) contains annually-laminated (varved) sediments, providing a 1600-year record of climate variability. A minerogenic lamina deposited during the annual thaw period and a thin deposit of organic matter deposited during the summer and through the winter, together form a clastic-organic couplet each year. The thinnest varves occur from AD800-1050, and the thickest from AD1100-1300, during the Medieval Warm Period. The relative sediment density is also highest during this period suggesting increased sediment transport energy. The coldest period of the Little Ice Age appears to be during the AD1600s. Varve widths over the past century indicate climate warming in the region. / This research program was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS). A tuition bursary from Ultramar Inc. also helped in making this research possible. Logistical support was provided by the Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP Contribution number 04508).

yes / This paper addresses the regulation of energy resource projects on indigenous lands in the Canadian Arctic and the role of environmental impact assessment in these projects, specifically those involving hydraulic fracturing. Taking an environmental point of view, this paper argues that in the absence of specific territorial legislation applying to shale gas development in Nunavut and the onshore portion of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in Northwest Territories the federal regulator, the National Energy Board, has a key role in promoting transparency, public participation, safety and sustainable use of natural resources. As part of its environmental protection responsibilities, the Board, inter alia, ensures that an environmental impact assessment is conducted before any proposed hydraulic fracturing activities commence on indigenous lands, which in some cases include an extensive public consultation. In 2013 the Board adopted rigorous guidelines for all onshore oil and gas projects involving hydraulic fracturing which address many of the concerns raised over shale gas development, including surface and groundwater contamination; impact on air quality; induced seismicity and reluctance of industry to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Although these guidelines are non-binding on the Board, their adoption means that it will be challenging for the operators to obtain an authorisation from the Board should they fail to conduct an environmental impact assessment. This paper argues that these guidelines exceed the best practices widely adopted by the Canadian shale gas industry. It concludes that because the guidelines address a number of concerns raised by the public they could potentially be used as the minimum standards for hydraulic fracturing operations in other regions outside Arctic Canada.

In 1930, A.Y. Jackson and Lawren S. Harris travelled to the Arctic Archipelago as members of Canada’s Eastern Arctic Patrol. The collaborative venture between the Department of the Interior and the noted Group of Seven artists, which followed Jackson’s 1927 voyage aboard the government patrol, was part of a mutual aim to generate popular interest in the Canadian North through art. This thesis examines the underlying political context of both the 1927 and 1930 collaborative efforts. It examines the government patrols in connection with the promotion of Jackson’s and Harris’s Arctic works as part of a larger process of advancing the Arctic as a Canadian possession during a period of increased foreign interest in the region. Drawing on primary source material as well as various print media reports and exhibition reviews, this study provides insight into how the contemporary framing of Jackson’s and Harris’s Arctic sketches and paintings from the government-supported expeditions—the ways in which the works were discussed and understood—contributed not only to the “imagining” of the Arctic as a Canadian possession, but also to the dissemination of Canadian sovereignty efforts in the North. / Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2012-12-05 15:24:52.546

The sea ice extent change and variability of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) are quite different compared to the Arctic as a whole due to its unique geographic settings. In this thesis, the sea ice retreat processes, the connection with other Arctic regions, and the linkages to the surface radiation flux in the CAA are examined. The sea ice retreat processes in the CAA follow a four-phase process: a slow ice melt phase that usually lasts until early June (phase 1); a quick melt phase with large daily sea ice extent change which lasts close to half-a-month (phase 2); a slow melt phase that looks like slow sea ice melt or even a small ice increase that lasts another half-a-month (phase 3); and a steady ice decrease phase (phase 4). With the help of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, it is identified that the quick melt in phase 2 is actually melt ponding, with melt ponds being falsely identified as open water by passive microwave. A simplified data assimilation method is then developed to improve the passive microwave sea ice concentration estimation by fusion with MODIS ice surface temperature data. The ice concentration from the analysis is found to improve the original passive microwave sea ice concentration estimation, with the largest improvements during sea ice melt. The sea ice retreat patterns in the CAA region are correlated with the sea ice retreat patterns in other regions of the Arctic. A decision tree classifier is designed to segment the sea ice retreat patterns in the CAA into several classes and classification maps are generated. These maps are effective in identifying the geographic locations that have large changes in the sea ice retreat patterns through the years. The daily progressions of the surface radiation components are described in detail. Due to the lack of multiple reflection, the percentage of shortwave radiation at the top of atmosphere that reaches the surface is influenced by the form of melt ponds over ice surface. The roles that each surface radiation component plays in forcing sea ice retreat are different in different years.