Dynamics of extreme ice in the coastal arctic cryosphere

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The Arctic is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth and this is having a substantial impact on the cryosphere and ecosystems that it supports. My research examines 'extreme' (extremely thick and extensive) ice features along the northern coast of Canada. These ice features have been in rapid decline over the last decade. This includes the breakup of >30% of Canada's ice shelves during this period, along with the loss of thousands of square kilometres of multiyear landfast sea ice. The removal of thick ice has resulted in the loss of all but one of the Northern Hemisphere's epishelf lakes (a layer of freshwater that floats on the ocean between the coast and an ice shelf). The calving and drifting of ice islands from the ice shelves has also raised concern for oil platforms and transportation in Arctic waters. My research program will examine changes in extent and thickness of these extreme coastal ice types by employing innovative remote sensing technology that will better constrain the relationship between climate and coastal cryospheric change. I will evaluate the role of epishelf lakes in the break-up and growth of extreme coastal ice and I will explore new strategies for identifying and tracking extreme ice features as they drift southward within Arctic pack ice. My program will provide graduate training in state-of-the-art remote sensing analysis and field research along the northernmost coasts of Canada. This research will help determine the implications of the profound environmental transformation now underway in the Arctic.