Collaborative Research: Assessing the Impact of Small, Canadian Arctic River Flows (SCARFs) to the Freshwater Budget of the Canadian Archipelago

这项为期三年的研究建议描述加拿大北极群岛(CAA)大部分未被研究的偏远河流和河口的地球化学特征，最终目的是解决当地淡水输入对CAA边界流的贡献。调查人员将针对七条河流进行采样。河流采样将在不同的水流状况下进行，但将强调在春季淡水期间采集样本，春季是一年中来自当地CAA河流的陆地径流对沿海水域影响最大的时候。河口取样将包括水平和垂直剖面。这些数据将使用混合模型和回归分析进行综合和解释，并与麦肯齐河和育空河的数据进行比较，这两条河的数据历来被认为是北美流向北极的“典型”径流。冰川融化的加速和世界变暖的水文循环可能会增加当地对CAA的淡水投入。因为许多这样的变化可能已经在进行中，所以建立一个基准来比较未来的变化是很重要的。拟议的研究对北冰洋和亚北冰洋向北大西洋输出淡水的可变性和大小有影响，研究结果将有助于填补CAA河流地球化学和北极淡水循环知识的重大空白。该项目将促进应用物理实验室和西北大学的教职员工、研究人员和学生之间的新伙伴关系。此外，研究将包括当地社区成员的亲身参与，他们将在一年中的不同时间收集样本，以扩大研究的时间覆盖范围。数据将通过网站和数据库公开，以最大限度地提高可见性、分散性和长期存档。其他活动包括教授和培训一名博士后，将项目结果纳入课程材料，以及与传统上代表性不足的群体的K-12学生进行接触。

This three-year study proposes to characterize the geochemistry of the largely unstudied, remote rivers and estuaries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), with the ultimate aim of resolving the contribution of local freshwater inputs to CAA boundary currents. The investigators will target seven rivers for sampling. River sampling will occur during different flow regimes, but will emphasize sample collection during the spring freshet, the time of year when terrestrial runoff from local CAA rivers maximally impacts coastal waters. Estuarine sampling will include both horizontal and vertical profiles. The data will be synthesized and interpreted using mixing models and regression analyses, and compared with data for the Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers, which have historically been considered "typical" for North American runoff to the Arctic. Acceleration of glacial melt and the hydrologic cycle in a warmer world will likely increase local inputs of freshwater to the CAA. Because many such changes may already be underway, it is important to establish a baseline by which future changes can be compared. The proposed research has implications regarding the variability and magnitude of freshwater export from the Arctic and subarctic oceans to the North Atlantic, and the findings will help fill significant gaps in the knowledge of CAA river geochemistry and the Arctic freshwater cycle. The project will catalyze a new partnership among faculty, researchers, and students at the Applied Physics Laboratory and Northwestern University. Moreover, the research will include hands-on participation from local community members who will collect samples during various times of year to extend the temporal coverage of the study. Data will be made publicly available via websites and databases for maximum visibility, dispersion, and long-term archival. Additional activities include teaching and training of a postdoctoral student, incorporation of project findings into curricular materials, and outreach to K-12 students from traditionally underrepresented groups.