Faculty member takes on Arctic research
When the call went out for volunteers to be part of an Arctic research expedition, Physical Sciences assistant professor and geologist Dr. Mark Furze nearly jumped at the chance. After all, he has already made four trips to the Arctic in the past to pursue his research in Arctic and Quaternary geology.
And the journey had a unique appeal: Mark would be part of a 20-person science crew (including geologists, marine biologists and oceanographers) onboard Canadian Coastguard Ship Amundsen, Canada’s flagship icebreaker. The team, put together by the Geological Survey of Canada in partnership with ArcticNet, would make a rare trip through the Northwest Passage.
But there was a catch – the expedition was scheduled in the middle of the fall term, from October 4 to 29. Because Mark’s first commitment is to his students at MacEwan, he opted to stay ashore at the university – until the expedition’s coordinator personally invited him to join the team. Mark accepted.
Staying connected with students
While another faculty member will manage his courses over the next three-and-a-half weeks, Mark remains committed to teaching his students. He will write a blog and host video field lectures as he studies the long-term environmental changes of the Arctic Archipelago from the last glaciation to present day.
On this expedition, the research team plans to “gain better baseline environmental data.” Mark will be delving into marine channels. The channel floors may provide evidence of glaciations and yield sediment samples, which will help to reveal how water conditions have changed in the past 10,000 years.
Mark will use this evidence to develop a timeline: “This long-term history provides the essential context for understanding current and future changes taking place in the Arctic.”
Important, yet problematic region
The Arctic is increasingly important to northern countries, as they stake claims on the ownership of the continental shelf and use the area as a strategic shipping route for oil and gas and mineral resources. Despite the increased interest, the area is poorly studied.
“The problem with the Arctic is that it’s so logistically hard to get to,” says Mark.
Not so for this year: experts predict that 2011 is the second-worst year in recent records for sea ice (meaning there is very little). Travelling through the Northwest Passage will be much easier due to climate change in the region – one of the long-term effects the research team plans to study.
“Nonetheless, sea ice is still expected to be plentiful through the Northwest Passage and will present logistical problems,” he says, but adds that he’s excited to be teaching and researching in the paths of past Arctic explorers.
