No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1997. / Bibliography: leaves 72-87.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Restricted until November 2000. Bibliography: leaves 68-83.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Restricted until November 2000. Bibliography: leaves 100-109.

No description available.

Recent changes in Arctic Ocean climate dynamics and marine activity in the region require re-evaluation of physical operating conditions, ship traffic patterns, and policy requirements. This study used (1) government surveys, (2) vessel reports, and (3) Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages to characterize the spatial and temporal variability of surface vessel traffic in relation to various sea-ice conditions on the Arctic Ocean during a year-long study from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011. Data sources, methods of analysis, and errors were discussed. Three principal topics were examined. First, sea-ice cover on the Arctic Ocean was analysed to determine the physical access for marine operations. Daily sea-ice concentration data based on satellite passive microwave measurements were used to calculate the extent of open water and duration of the sea-ice season. Second, ship traffic on the Arctic Ocean was analysed to determine the present patterns of human activity. Time-stamped AIS messages encoded with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positions received by a commercial satellite constellation from north of the Arctic Circle (66·56°N) were used to calculate the distribution of vessels per unit area. Satellite AIS data from SpaceQuest, Limited, were compared with land-based vessel observations during the study period from the Marine Exchange of Alaska and the Port of Longyearbyen. Third, the spatial and temporal relationship between sea ice and surface vessels on the Arctic Ocean was analysed to determine potential policy implications. Three groups of marine operations with distinct characteristics were determined from the analysis: operations in perennial open water, operations in the seasonal ice zone, and operations in the perennial ice zone. Throughout the study year, most ships north of 66·56°N operated in perennially icefree areas, but year-round operations also occurred in ice-covered areas. The results from this study identify new pathways of information to enable consistent pan-Arctic assessment of physical operating conditions and ship traffic patterns. This approach provides novel considerations to sustainably develop a safe, secure, and environmentally protected Arctic Ocean.

The freshwater input from the Arctic into the North Atlantic is an important component of the global climate system through its effects on deepwater formation. Part of this freshwater is transported through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) via sea ice and low density surface water, where it is able to set up buoyancy boundary currents (BBCs). To infer the existence of freshwater transport via BBCs in the southwest CAA, data are examined from summer cruises conducted in 1995, 1999, and 2000. The hydrographic data are supplemented with traditional knowledge relevant to this study. The presence, predominantly on the south side of channels, of driftwood originating from the Mackenzie River confirms an eastward transport through the region. The hydrographic data also show that the southwest CAA is relatively fresh compared to surrounding regions, and that the sources of buoyancy forcing are large and from different origins. The presence of BBCs on both sides of the channels appears to be a frequent occurrence with, as shown in previous work, the fresher water being more often present on the south shore. Some data from the summer 2000 show a different feature with much fresher water on the north side. A subsequent strong wind event creates a complete reversal of this situation, setting up a strong cross-channel horizontal salinity gradient and an amplified BBC on the south shore. In this region, buoyancy and wind forcing act together to force an eastward freshwater transport in the southwest CAA. / Graduate

Canada, the United States-Alaska, the Soviet Union-RSFSR, Norway, and Denmark/Greenland have non-specific laws apply for the environmental protection of their Arctic lands, waters, and marine spaces. But the piecemeal approaches employed neglect the need for environmentally sound management in respect of the multiple uses of the polar sea's delicate ecosystems. Convenient component elements of Arctic pollution are chosen for examination -- (1) land-based sources of freshwater pollution and (2) marine-borne pollution resulting from offshore drilling and Arctic shipping. This comparative study moreover serves three objectives: (1) the exposition of the statutory instruments and administrative materials; (2) the evaluation of the national approaches taken for environmental protection generally and Arctic protection specifically; and (3) the appraisal of the accommodation and resolution of conflicts over interests concerning economic uses vis-a-vis environmental protection. In the chapter on each state a background makes reference to the national socio-legal and international legal conditions affecting municipal Arctic pollution control. The next section on the national regulatory framework follows the territorial and jurisdictional zones of the coastal state: from land-based operations affecting the freshwaters, to the coastal area, the body of law on shipping and navigation, the environmental provisions of a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf activities, to the regime on deep sea-bed mining. The latter of which ends this section and provides for the evaluation given in the concluding section on the country in question. The states have taken different avenues in their pollution control enactments: (1) blanket prohibition or the regulation of pollution; (2) the enforcement and supervision of statutory provisions; and/or (3) civil and criminal liability for violations of respective measures. Every state provides precedences for a number of recommendations in order to facilitate resource uses, environmental protection, and the integration of the Arctic natives in an ecosystem management approach to environmental protection. Examples are such like Norway's integrated statute on pollution prevention, the United States' legislation on coastal zone management and environmental impact assessments, and Canada's framework on Arctic shipping and Arctic pollution prevention. / Law, Peter A. Allard School of / Graduate