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| Climate Change at the Arctic’s Edge |
| Help monitor the Arctic's vast stores of greenhouse gasses. |
     
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On The Expedition In this inimitable Arctic landscape, you will take measurements at study plots extending from the tundra into the forest to monitor changes affecting the carbon stores in these peat-rich ecosystems. Summer and fall teams will use ground-penetrating radar, microclimate dataloggers, and soil coring to measure the permafrost and organic carbon stores. You'll also live-trap small mammals, sample trees and shrubs to evaluate their growth rings, and monitor plant development. February teams offer a unique opportunity to experience the edge of the Arctic in its most dramatic season: winter. Traveling by qamutik towed by snowmobiles, you'll classify ice crystals, measure snowpack thickness, density, hardness, and temperature. You can also build an igloo and sleep in it comfortably, even when the temperature outside is -30 or -40 degrees Celsius. Meals and Accommodations You'll be based at the Churchill Northern Studies Center, with dramatic scenery and a dome for watching the Arctic sky, and possibly the Northern Lights. You'll stay in dormitory rooms with up to eight beds in each, a quiet lounge for reading, and shared modern washroom facilities with hot showers, and meals provided by the Center's cafeteria. More Information Check out our Mackenzie Mountain and Teen teams. 
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Research Summary Churchill, Manitoba, Canada — Global warming is being felt first and most dramatically at the edge of the Arctic, where the world's peatlands run in a broad strip around the globe. These wetlands contain as much as 20 percent of the world's carbon, often locked in permafrost. If global warming thaws the permafrost, the decomposing peat could release carbon dioxide and methane, the most important greenhouse gases. What happens to the peat here will not only alter the local ecosystem, but could also have dramatic consequences for the ecology of the entire planet. You can help Dr. Peter Kershaw monitor ecosystem responses to global warming at the Churchill Northern Studies Center, perched on the edge of the Arctic tundra in Manitoba. Meet the Scientists  Dr. Peter Kershaw University of Alberta |
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About the Research Area Churchill is located at the northern edge of the forest-tundra near the geographical center of the North American continent. It is on the sea coast and within the Hudson Bay Lowlands, the largest peatlands in North America. The town is situated at the mouth of the Churchill River, a very large north-flowing waterway. In the vicinity of Churchill many different biomes can be found, including forest, forest-tundra, tundra, wetland/peatland, estuarine, and marine. The land is emerging from Hudson Bay as the earth’s crust rebounds from the depression caused by the weight of the last ice age glaciers. As it rises, raised beach ridges are formed to provide relief to the lowland. Being very near the center of the last continental glaciers, the land is rebounding at a rate of 80 to 100 centimeters a century, creating new land that is continually being colonized. In fact, Churchill has been one of the classical areas for the study of primary plant community succession. Plant diversity is high for this latitude because it is a meeting of Arctic, sub-Arctic, and Boreal species. Find out more |
Fact Sheet
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Locations shown are approximate.
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