Ice Dynamics and Cryospheric Changes in Northern Canada

这项研究计划的中心目标是提高对冰动力学和气候变化对加拿大北方冰川、冰帽和冰架影响的认识。近年来，冰川和冰帽的厚度已经大幅减少，但目前对这些冰块如何移动以及这种运动如何随时间变化以应对气候强迫知之甚少。因此，这项研究将为加拿大北极群岛（巴芬、德文郡、阿克塞尔海伯格、拜洛特和埃尔斯米尔群岛）的所有冰川和冰盖以及育空地区克卢恩国家公园内的所有冰川绘制第一份完整的速度图。这些测量值将来自对加拿大雷达卫星2号收集的图像对的处理，并将与差分全球定位系统进行的地面测量值进行核对。同时测量表面融化、降雪模式和气温等因素将能够确定控制冰运动的因素。这些信息将最终提高对加拿大北方冰群未来演变的理解，并改善对未来海平面上升的预测。对北方埃尔斯米尔岛冰架变化的监测将有助于确定其长期稳定性以及导致其最近急剧破裂的因素。这也将有助于更好地评估冰岛从冰架上释放给近海石油勘探带来的风险。

The central aim of this research program is to improve understanding of ice dynamics and the impacts of climate change on glaciers, ice caps and ice shelves in northern Canada. Glaciers and ice caps have lost substantial thicknesses in recent years, but is little is currently known about how these ice masses move, and how this motion may vary over time in response to climate forcing. This study will therefore produce the first complete velocity maps for all of the glaciers and ice caps in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Baffin, Devon, Axel Heiberg, Bylot and Ellesmere Islands), together with all of the glaciers within Kluane National Park, Yukon. These measurements will be derived from processing of image pairs collected by the Canadian Radarsat-2 satellite, and will be checked against ground measurements made with differential global positioning systems. Simultaneous measurement of factors such as surface melt, snowfall patterns and air temperatures will enable identification of the factors that control ice motion. This information will ultimately improve understanding of the future evolution of ice masses in northern Canada, and improve predictions of future sea level rise. The monitoring of ice shelf changes on northern Ellesmere Island will enable identification of their long-term stability and the factors that have caused their dramatic recent breakups. This will also enable improved assessment of the risks to offshore oil exploration posed by the release of ice islands from ice shelves.