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The active layer thickness (ALT) is a key parameter for permafrost studies. Changes in the ALT are affected mainly by air and ground temperatures, physical and thermal properties of the surface and subsurface materials, soil moisture, vegetation, and the duration and thickness of snow cover. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) were employed across a snow fence during the thawing season to delineate and monitor the active layer of permafrost in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada. The variation of the ALT is well captured by the high-resolution time-lapse radargram. At the position of the fence, the active layer thickens over the thawing period from 0.5 m depth at the beginning to 1.0 m depth at the end. The active layer is thicker in the pre-fence area (C zone) than in the post-fence area (H zone). As the air temperature increases with time, the difference in thickness between the two zones decreases, eventually becoming almost equal. Changes in the ALT are represented in the ERT by low resistivities (< 200 Ωm), which decrease gradually with time. This occurs most significantly in the H zone due to the rapidly increasing temperature in the absence of snow cover. The electrical resistivity structure of the active layer is well correlated with the vegetation activity, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index, air/ground temperatures, soil moisture, snow cover, and snow accumulation controlled by the fence. Geophysical data interpretation and correlation schemes with vegetation and meteorological data explored in this paper can be applied to monitor the active layer, which is expected to thin during the freezing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now an extensive body of academic literature examining how the environmental movement contributed to the colonization of Indigenous peoples and development of capitalism in northern Canada. This paper contributes to these discussions by considering how environmental assessment (EA) helped enable hydrocarbon extraction in the Qikiqtani (Baffin Island) region of Nunavut in the 1970s and 1980s. When exploration activities began to threaten the Inuit harvesting economy, communities protested with letters and petitions. The federal government responded to Inuit resistance by referring proposed exploratory drilling and extraction to its new EA process. While Inuit won significant victories during some assessments of proposed exploratory drilling and extraction, federal EA ultimately helped create the conditions for Inuit to consent to oil extraction. EA helped impose material compromises between Inuit and hydrocarbon industries, including preferential hiring of Inuit, a reduction in the scope of proposed extraction, and the rejection of especially controversial proposals for offshore drilling. These concessions, combined with a collapse in the market for sealskins due to international boycotts, persuaded several Qikiqtani communities to support oil extraction in the 1980s. The ensuing extraction and export of oil from the High Arctic accelerated processes of colonial dispossession and reinforced colonial political dynamics. Key Messages: Environmental assessment played an important role in creating the conditions for Inuit to consent to hydrocarbon extraction in the 1980s.Environmental assessment helped persuade Inuit to consent to extraction by imposing compromises between Inuit and extractive industries.The extraction of oil before a land claim was settled undermined the ability of Inuit to capture economic benefits from extraction and negotiate ownership over offshore resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is concerned with thermal disturbances in continuous permafrost due to open pit mining and tailings impoundment in the cold regions of Northern Canada. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate issues of thermal regime changes and permafrost degradation in both the short term and the long term in connection with the proposed Kiggavik project in Nunavut, Canada. The results of numerical simulations indicate that no open talik would form below the East Zone and Center Zone pits during the estimated mining and milling operation period of 14 years, although a thin thawed zone would develop surrounding the open pits. For the Main Zone pit where the excavation would break through permafrost, the open talik remains following an extended operation period of 25 years with a 5 to 30 m thawed zone along the pit side walls. In the long term, with a plausible climate change scenario of 5 °C increase in the mean annual ground surface temperature during the next 100 years, the permafrost surrounding the in-pit tailings management facilities (TMFs) would reduce greatly in about 500 years. However, an approximately 40 m thick permafrost layer would remain on the top of the TMFs, which is impervious and would prevent any tailings pore water from migrating upward to reach the ground surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Death by suicide and attempted suicide among Inuit youth is now considered a public health emergency of epidemic proportion, with rates among the highest worldwide. A strong sense of cultural identity and pride, as well as social capital, has been identified as being protective against suicide. The Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People call for communities to be included in the conception, planning and implementation of research. The authors took first steps towards sharing the responsibility of designing a community initiative with the youth of Naujaat, Nunavut, a community located directly on the Arctic Circle. With the objectives of promoting open listening and exploration of community needs and enhancing self-determination and sustainability, we postulated a youth resiliency project that will be co-authored by the community. This paper describes the joint work process. We recount how Inuit youth take ownership of the project with the guidance of Ms. Elizabeth Haqpi, a Naujaat Elder. The article will particularly reflect on the process of balancing the different perspectives and expectations while enjoying the richness of mutual learning through keeping each other accountable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Enhancement techniques are frequently applied on magnetic field maps to facilitate the interpretation of geological units and structures. Among them, the normalized derivative (ND) approach represents a class of techniques specifically designed to balance weak and strong anomalies (Fairhead and Williams, 2006). In this paper, we present an approach for the enhancement, detection and mapping of curvilinear structures in ND magnetic maps. The proposed approach locates ridges and valleys in ND maps using multiscale Hessian analysis and filtering, non-maxima suppression and morphological thinning with anchor points. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated on four different magnetic map subsets with differing geological settings. A practical application of the method is demonstrated using the magnetic maps from the Tehery Lake – Wager Bay region of Nunavut, Canada. Geological features are effectively defined, highlighting near surface structures and key units that are important for understanding the mineral potential of the region. Highlights • We proposed a method to locate ridges and valleys in normalized derivative maps. • Method uses Hessian-based filtering, non-maxima suppression and thinning with anchors. • Method efficiency demonstrated on five different magnetic map subsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injury is the leading cause of death for Canadians aged 1 to 44, occurring disproportionately across regions and communities. In the Inuit territory of Nunavut, for instance, unintentional injury rates are over three times the Canadian average. In this paper, we develop a framework for assessing vulnerability to injury and use it to identify and characterize the determinants of injuries on the land in Nunavut. We specifically examine unintentional injuries on the land (outside of hamlets) because of the importance of land-based activities to Inuit culture, health, and well-being. Semi-structured interviews (n = 45) were conducted in three communities that have varying rates of search and rescue (SAR), complemented by an analysis of SAR case data for the territory. We found that risk of land-based injuries is affected by socioeconomic status, Inuit traditional knowledge, community organizations, and territorial and national policies. Notably, by moving beyond common conceptualizations of unintentional injury, we are able to better assess root causes of unintentional injury and outline paths for prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a geographical and historical overview of the Territory Nunavut (Canada) established in 1999 and inhabited by a majority of Inuit People. The author outlines the process that led to the conclusion of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the current structure of the government of Nunavut, which can best be described as a form of Inuit self-government. Th e main objective of the paper consists in an overview and analysis of current socio-economic challenges faced by the government of Nunavut. Based on the visions of the Bathurst Mandate, the author attempts to assess the success of the ‘Nunavut Project’. The author concludes that because of Nunavut's weak economy and fi scal dependency on the central federal government of Canada, the numerous socio-economic challenges have not been resolved. The Nunavut experiment has not yet been proven a success. The prosperous vision, expressed through the Bathurst Mandate, of a viable Nunavut seems for now just an illusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a movement towards more grassroots-modelled collaborative planning approaches in Northern Canada. These approaches have frequently been directed at heightening the relevance of social policy, particularly within the context of Northern and Aboriginal self-determination. This paper acknowledges the potential of fledgling governance directives aimed at Northern empowerment. However, it argues that these directives require a more precise focus on place conceptualisation to ensure context sensitivities are appropriately addressed. Informed by the experiences of Northern practitioners, the paper suggests that Nunavut is well-situated to embrace a democratic planning mandate centred on place conceptualisation. This is to the extent that the decision-making cultures of remote Northern communities meet the conditions required for processes of interpretive place construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inuit Elders from the West Coast of Hudson Bay, Canada remember the past to serve the present. This paper describes a mapping and oral history project that is gathering Elders' knowledge of the people, places, sites, and resources that populated their vast traditional territory. We discuss the Elders' conception of this work within the framework of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangiit (Inuit knowledge) and how these understandings are actively contributing to the form and direction of the project. We explore how the Elders' knowledge is used to inform and animate the archaeological findings of the project. These broader discussions are focused around an examination of the tentative links between an historic Inuit trader named Ullebuk (Ouligbuk) and archaeological features uncovered at a site located near Arviat, Nunavut. Finally, we discuss how the Elders' work is trained on the goal of serving their people, particularly the rapidly expanding population of Inuit youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Devon Island ice cap has been the subject of scientific study for almost half a century, beginning with the first mass balance measurements in 1961. Research on the ice cap was the first to investigate (1) the role of meltwater in seasonal ice-velocity variations on a polythermal Arctic ice cap, (2) the use of air temperature rather than net radiation as a proxy for the energy driving surface melt, and (3) the influence of the changing frequency of specific synoptic weather configurations on glacier melt and mass balance. Other research has included investigations of ice cap geometry, flow dynamics, and mass balance; ice core analyses for records of past climate and contaminant deposition; and studies of changes in ice cap area and volume and their relationship to surface mass balance and ice dynamics. Current research includes ground studies connected to efforts to calibrate and validate the radar altimeter that will be carried by the European Space Agency's (ESA) CryoSat2 satellite, and a major collaborative Canadian International Polar Year (IPY) project focused on the Belcher Glacier, on the northeast side of the ice cap, that examines hydrodynamics of large tidewater glaciers. This paper summarizes our current knowledge of the Devon Island ice cap and identifies some of the outstanding questions that continue to limit our understanding of climate-ice cap interactions in Arctic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Canadian High Arctic contains several of the highest fidelity Mars analogue sites in the world. Situated at nearly 80° north, Expedition Fjord on Axel Heiberg Island is located within a polar desert climate, with the surrounding landscape and conditions providing an invaluable opportunity to examine terrestrial processes in a cold, dry environment. Through the Canadian Space Agency''s Analogue Research Network program, scientific activities based out of the McGill Arctic Research Station (M.A.R.S.) are extremely broad in scope, representing physical, biological, and technological investigations. Some of the most unique hydrogeologic features under investigation near M.A.R.S. are a series of cold saline springs that maintain liquid-state flow year round regardless of air temperature. Previous studies have examined their geomorphic relation to discharge-related formations, water chemistry, temperature monitoring, discharge rates, and combined flow/thermal modeling. Recent investigations have identified microbial communities and characterized biological activity within the springs and within permafrost sections, having direct relevance to astrobiological analogue research goals. Another main thrust of research activities based at M.A.R.S. pertains to the detection, mapping, and quantification of subsurface ice deposits. A long-term study is presently underway examining polygonal terrain, comparing surficial patterns found in the region with those identified on Mars, and using surface morphology to estimate ice wedge volumes through a combination of aerial photography interpretation and ground-based geophysical techniques. Other technological developments include the use of in situ microscopy for the detection of biomarkers and improved permafrost drilling techniques. This paper presents an overview of previous studies undertaken at M.A.R.S. over the past decades and will describe in detail both present and upcoming work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presently, the terms "settlement" and "community" are used virtually interchange- ably as identifying referents for contemporary Inuit residential places, especially those that are the result of past Euro-Canadian resettlement policy. This paper revisits Chang's (1961) conceptualization of these terms in which "settlement" expresses spatial, geographic and, to a degree, temporal provenience, while "community" is conceived of as having strict social meaning with regard to place. Chang's conception of each term is tested through examination of ethnohistoric information about Inuit occupation and use of the Clyde region of eastern Baffin Island before the formation of modern Clyde Rivet This examination begins with historical and informant information about the nineteenth century regional presence of Inuit and then is followed by detailed Inuit memories of people and places during Clyde's Contact-Traditional Period (ca. 1923-1970). It concludes that Chang's discriminating use of "settlement" and "community" are relevant to the history of Inuit occupation in this area during this later time, but that his formulations about Inuit settlement and community within his larger circumpolar typologies are weak and with regard to community inaccurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On April 1, 1999 one-fifth of Canada's landmass became Nunavut, a new Arctic territory in which eighty-five percent of the population of 28,000 is Inuit. In this paper, I explore how overlapping vocabularies of nationalism and citizenship, so successful in external negotiations with the Canadian state, were brought home and utilized to defend competing positions in the internal debate over a unique proposal that would have ensured gender parity in Nunavut's territorial legislature. The gender parity debate is analyzed to illustrate the way that different political actors mobilized the concepts of nationalism and citizenship to support competing positions and how these two discourses influenced notions of the spaces in which gender difference can be acknowledged legitimately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents relative sea-level curves from Amund and Ellef Ringnes islands, northwest Queen Elizabeth Islands. These curves are of exponential form and record continuous, ongoing Holocene emergence, although northwest Ellef Ringnes Island is experiencing a late Holocene transgression. Isobases drawn on postglacial shorelines rise southeastward towards an uplift centre in Norwegian Bay. These suggest the Ringnes Islands occupied the northwest radius of the Innuitian uplift, which is congruent with glacial geological evidence suggesting parts of the Ringnes Islands were covered by the Late Wisconsinan Innuitian Ice Sheet. The isobases provide a provisional reconstruction of glacioisostatic recovery within the northwest Innuitian uplift. Their pattern supports earlier reconstructions that maximum Late Wisconsinan ice thickness occurred across Norwegian Bay, marking the position of an ice divide, which is consistent with ice-flow features on Amund Ringnes Island. They record the diminishing thickness of the Innuitian Ice Sheet from Norwegian Bay to the Arctic Ocean. The absence of an isobase embayment across the Ringnes Islands suggests a relatively uniform ice load across both islands and Hassel and Massey sounds. Parallel isobases across Peary Channel indicate this ice load extended beyond Massey Sound, although their northward deflection suggests an increasing influence of the former Axel Heiberg Island ice load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2001 the federal Government of Canada enacted new Regulations governing archaeological fieldwork in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In this paper we provide a brief overview of the history of archaeological site protection in the former Northwest Territories, and describe the nature of the changes that are now in effect in the new Nunavut and Northwest Territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the occurrence of resin acid-degrading bacteria on the Arctic tundra soil in Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories. Abundance of resin acid degraders in hydro-carbon-contaminated soils; Importance of the acid in the global carbon cycle; Significance for the biotreatment of pulp and paper mill effluents.

The solid DC electrical conductivity (ECM – Electrical Conductivity Method) of polar ice cores has become an important tool in identifying and quantifying volcanic acid layers, and this paper addresses the question of how much signal and noise there is in single ECM series. A number of high-resolution (10 samples/year) ice-core ECM records from the Agassiz Ice Cap are correlated over the last 900 years. Correlations decrease with distance apart due to local drift and melt layer noise, but correlations are probably reduced also by differences in methodology and core storage. It is found that only peak sizes in the uppermost two percentiles retain their ranking and recognizability from core to core. With continuous sampling, however, the smaller peaks can be cross-identified between cores, even though they lose their size rank. Averaging or stacking several ECM records reduces the noise. Five-year averages of ECM for the Holocene are presented for the Agassiz cores and their correlations interpreted as functions of distance apart and differences in method. The large-scale melting in the early Holocene (8ka to 10ka) almost completely de-acidifies the ice in all the Agassiz cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• OSIRIS and ACE-FTS ozone agrees well, ACE-MAESTRO ozone shows low bias. • Satellite ozone data agree with ground-based measurements to within 0.1–12.0%. • Satellite NO 2 data agree with ground-based measurements to within 0.7–33.2%. • Results are consistent with previous validation studies. • No significant drift found in the satellite datasets. This paper presents long-term intercomparisons (2003–2017) between ozone and NO 2 measured by the Optical Spectrograph and Infra-Red Imager System (OSIRIS) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite instruments, and by ground-based instruments at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL), near Eureka, Nunavut, Canada (80∘N, 86∘W). The ground-based instruments include four zenith-sky differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) instruments, two Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers, and a Brewer spectrophotometer. Comparisons of 14–52 km ozone partial columns show good agreement between OSIRIS v5.10 and ACE-FTS v3.5/3.6 data (1.2%), while ACE-MAESTRO v3.13 ozone is smaller than the other two datasets by 6.7% and 5.9%, respectively. Satellite profiles were extended to the surface using ozonesonde data, and the resulting columns agree with the ground-based datasets with mean relative differences of 0.1–12.0%. For NO 2 , 12–40 km partial columns from ACE-FTS v3.5/3.6 and 12–32 km partial columns from OSIRIS v6.0 (scaled to 40 km) agree with ground-based partial columns with mean relative differences of 0.7–33.2%. Dynamical coincidence criteria improved the ACE to ground-based FTIR ozone comparisons, while little to no improvements were seen for other instruments, and for NO 2. A ± 1∘ latitude criterion modestly improved the spring and fall NO 2 comparisons. The results of this study are consistent with previous validation exercises. In addition, there are no significant drifts between the satellite datasets, or between the satellites and the ground-based measurements, indicating that the OSIRIS and ACE instruments continue to perform well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]