Statues, diamonds, flying electromagnetic torpedoes — arctic science is one cool field.
And Christian Haas is on its leading edge. He recently returned from the frozen north with a rare scientific device that provided new insight into the state of arctic ice thickness. It's thinning, he says, but not as fast as we'd thought — we still have a few decades left before it disappears completely. "In 30 or 40 years, there will not be much ice left during the summer."
It's one of the many discoveries local researchers have made about the changing north over the last 50 years at the University of Alberta. The university opened a new exhibit Thursday to highlight their work.
The exhibit, Polar Impact: Understanding change in the circumpolar worlds, is part of the Canadian Circumpolar Institute's 50th anniversary, says Marianne Douglas, director of the institute.
"Whatever happens in the Arctic and Antarctic is going to have huge implications for people in lower latitudes," Douglas says. Melting ice not only threatens polar bears, but also speeds up global warming by making the seas darker and more heat absorbent.
That affects ocean currents, violent weather patterns and sea levels, she says. "Somebody in the future [who lives on the coast] will wake up and have very wet feet."
One cool collection
The exhibit features artifacts from various health, climate, cultural and other studies done by the institute in Canada's north. Uncut diamonds sparkle alongside soapstone statues and ancient copper knives, while a giant fossilized clam sulks by a candy-cane ice drill.
The biggest object is Haas' EM bird — a 3.5-meter, 100-kilogram torpedo with a yellow and green nose and a canvas tail.
When you think of the Arctic, Douglas says, you think of ice. Sea ice extent had plunged in recent years based on satellite measurements both in terms of short and long-term ice. But until recently, researchers weren't sure if the ice was getting any thinner. Thin ice is a risk to polar bears and people as it keeps them from hunting seals.
The EM bird uses electromagnetic fields to measure ice thickness over a vast area, says Haas, who has a summary of his work in the exhibit. The device, one of just four in the world, is dangled from a helicopter and flown 15 meters off the ice surface at about 200 kilometres an hour — an impressive sight. Previously, the only way to do this research was with ice drills or nuclear submarines.
"We've shown that the ice at the North Pole has shown some thinning," he says — about 20 per cent over the last 20 years. The thickest ice, found on Canada's north coast, has only recently changed, thinning about 20 per cent since 2007.
Other researchers are studying cultural change up north, notes Ellen Cunningham, curator of the exhibit. Western schools brought great change to the Inuit as they emphasized writing and discouraged traditional tongues. An Inuktitut typewriter in the exhibit shows how the traditionally oral Inuit culture is becoming a written one.
And some have helped communities realize their dreams. One exhibit describes how researchers brought caribou back to Hudson Bay's Belcher Island, allowing its inhabitants to restore their traditional caribou hunt.
Arctic research is still a challenging field, Douglas says, although satellites have made it easier. Harsh weather wrecks equipment, while $1,500-an-hour plane rides sap budgets. "You're going to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere. If you forget something critical, you have to know how to use duct tape."
The free exhibit runs Thursdays through Saturdays at the U of A's Telus Centre until Nov. 20. Call 780-492-5834 for hours and information.
