Arctic hydrogeology and paleoclimatology

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Canada's cryosphere constitutes roughly one half of its land mass, and is underlain by perennially frozen terrain - permafrost - that completely alters the mechanisms we know to govern water movement through watersheds in temperate landscapes. Groundwater movement through unfrozen zones in permafrost is an important component of the Arctic hydrological cycle, as it provides base flow for fish spawning habitat. It is involved in the formation of endostromatolites, biomineralizations that hold paleoclimate information as well as information on life in  extreme environments. Long-term impacts of groundwater in talik include effects on nuclear waste repositories and on mining in the north.Research in Arctic hydrogeology and paleoclimatology requires travel to remote regions of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Our work in these remote regions involves the use of isotopes and geochemistry, natural tracers of water movement, that we measure in samples collected throughout the year. This application will support field work in the Arctic that involves new research collaborators and assistants from the north. It also involves graduate and undergraduate students, who will gain tremendous experience from their research in Canada's north.