NÉVÉFLO: Northern Environmental Variability at the Expedition Fiord Landscape Observatory

NäVäFLO：探险峡湾景观观测站的北部环境变化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04738
• 负责人: Thomson, Laura
• 金额: $ 2.19万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=683553
• 关键词: FLO; Northern; Environmental; Variability; Expedition

The Canadian Arctic hosts the largest area of glaciers outside of Greenland and Antarctica, and is the largest contributor to rising sea-level from glaciers and ice caps due to greater warming in the Arctic than elsewhere. It is therefore essential that we improve our ability to anticipate glacier changes quickly. This will help coastal communities and insurance companies plan for and reduce the risks of rising sea-level. Changing climate impacts both the production of meltwater and runoff from glaciers, as well as the speed at which ice flows to lower, warmer elevations where melt conditions prevail. ***Field-based studies into the glacier-climate processes and the impact on downstream ecosystems are limited and rarely span >10 years due to logistical challenges. However, the region of Expedition Fiord on Axel Heiberg Island, NU, hosts more than 50 years of continuous glacier research and a large collection of increasingly critical baseline data about the high-Arctic environment. Building upon this legacy of research, the proposed Northern Environmental Variability at the Expedition Fiord Landscape Observatory (NÉVÉFLO) program will lead the continuation of the glacier measurements in the region, while advancing our knowledge of the sensitivity, stability, and downstream consequences of glacier change in the Canadian Arctic. ***The proposed research will 1) address knowledge-gaps concerning processes at the glacier-atmosphere and glacier-bed boundaries, and 2) assess how these processes impact downstream environments. At the glacier-atmosphere boundary, unknowns include the amount and distribution of meltwater stored in high-elevation snowfields (nÉvÉ), and how the refreezing of meltwater in these snowfields will impact the internal temperature and deformation-rate of glacier ice. At the glacier-bed boundary, there are still large unknowns concerning the mechanics of ice deformation and sliding at the base of cold, polar glaciers. These glacier-bed processes control ice velocities, erosion, and the landscapes formed as glaciers retreat. Together, these processes control the quantity, chemistry, and sediment load of freshwater released from glaciers, and will ultimately impact the downstream river, fiord, and ocean ecosystems. ***NÉVÉFLO will use a combination of ground- and satellite-based observations of glacier change, along with models incorporating weather observations and future climate scenarios, to determine the amount of water and sediment released by glaciers. In addition to helping predict sea-level rise, the proposed research will reveal how changing glaciers impact the creation and alteration of landforms, watersheds, and ecosystems. Over five-years, this program will support scientific and transferable skills training for 19 highly-qualified personnel (HQP), including 3 PhD, 6 MSc, 5 BSc, and 5 northern students. It will also foster the development of a glacier watershed monitoring program in the northern community of Grise Fiord, NU.

加拿大北极地区拥有除格陵兰岛和南极洲以外面积最大的冰川，并且由于北极变暖程度高于其他地区，是冰川和冰盖导致海平面上升的最大原因。因此，我们必须改善我们的气候。快速预测冰川变化的能力将有助于沿海社区和保险公司制定计划并减少海平面上升的风险，气候变化会影响冰川融水和径流的产生以及冰流的速度。 ***由于后勤方面的挑战，对冰川气候过程及其对下游生态系统影响的实地研究很少超过 10 年。北卡罗来纳州海伯格岛开展了 50 多年的持续冰川研究，并收集了大量关于高纬度北极环境的日益重要的基线数据。探险峡湾景观观测站 (NÉVÉFLO) 计划将领导该地区冰川测量的继续，同时增进我们对加拿大北极地区冰川变化的敏感性、稳定性和下游后果的了解***拟议的研究将 1)。解决有关冰川-大气和冰川床边界过程的知识差距，2）评估这些过程如何影响冰川-大气边界的下游环境，未知因素包括高海拔雪原中储存的融水量和分布，以及这些雪原中融水的重新冻结将如何影响冰川床边界处的冰川冰的内部温度和变形率，仍然存在很大的未知数。关于寒冷的极地冰川底部的冰变形和滑动的力学这些冰川床过程控制着冰的速度、侵蚀和冰川形成的景观。这些过程共同控制着冰川释放的淡水的数量、化学成分和沉积物负荷，并最终影响下游河流、峡湾和海洋生态系统。***NÉVÉFLO 将结合使用地面和卫星技术。对冰川变化的观测，以及结合天气观测和未来气候情景的模型，以确定冰川释放的水和沉积物的量。除了帮助预测海平面上升之外，拟议的研究还将揭示冰川变化如何影响冰川的形成。该项目将在五年内为 19 名高素质人员（HQP）提供科学和可转移技能培训，其中包括 3 名博士、6 名硕士、5 名理学士和 5 名北方学生。还将促进NU Grise Fiord北部社区冰川流域监测项目的发展。