Perennial spring occurrence in the Expedition Fiord area of western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Pollard ◽  
Chris Omelon ◽  
Dale Andersen ◽  
Chris McKay
Keyword(s):  
Freezing Point ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Freezing Point Depression ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Mcgill University ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Total Discharge

This paper documents perennial spring activity at Expedition Fiord on western Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian High Arctic. Two groups of mineralized springs occur near the McGill University Axel Heiberg Research Station located at 79°26'N, 90°46'W. The first is at Gypsum Hill, 3 km from the terminus of the White and Thompson glaciers, and the second site is at Colour Peak, approximately 10 km downvalley near the head of Expedition Fiord. Each spring group consists of 20-40 vents spread over several hundred square metres. The highly mineralized nature of the discharge causes a freezing-point depression of 7-10°C and produces a range of precipitates and travertine deposits. Year-round water temperature and discharge rate measurements have been obtained, demonstrating perennial activity at these sites. Results indicate that temperatures range from -4.0 to 6.6°C among the individual sources; however, water temperatures at the various outlets remain constant throughout the year despite a mean annual air temperature of -15°C. Although discharge from any one outlet is low (<0.5 to 2.0 L/s), the total discharge is substantial, each year producing several seasonal frost mounds and an icing 180 000 - 300 000 m2 at the Gypsum Hill site.

Overview of analogue science activities at the McGill Arctic Research Station, Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 646-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Pollard ◽  
Tim Haltigin ◽  
Lyle Whyte ◽  
Thomas Niederberger ◽  
Dale Andersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island ◽  
Science Activities

scholarly journals Dynamics of Ice-Island Motion Near the Coast of Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

1989 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 152-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.M. Sackinger ◽  
M.O. Jeffries ◽  
H. Tippens ◽  
F. Li ◽  
M. Lu
Keyword(s):  
Surface Wind ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Movement Direction ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Pack Ice ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island ◽  
Ice Force

The largest ice island presently known to exist in the Arctic Ocean has a mass of about 700 × 106 tonnes, an area of about 26 km2, and a mean thickness of 42.5 m. Known as Hobson’s Ice Island, this large ice feature has been tracked almost continuously since August 1983 with a succession of Argos buoys. In this paper, two particular ice-island movement episodes near the north-west coast of Axel Heiberg Island are described: 6–16 May 1986 and 14–21 June 1986. Each movement episode is analyzed in terms of the forces acting on the ice island, including wind shear, water drag, water shear, Coriolis force, sea-surface tilt, and pack-ice force. Ice-island movement is generally preceded by an offshore surface wind, and a threshold wind speed of 6 m s°1 appears to be necessary to initiate ice-island motion. An angle of 50° between surface wind and ice-island movement direction is noted during one episode. The pack-ice force, which appears to be the dominant arresting factor of ice-island motion for these two episodes, varies from 100° to 180° to the left of the ice-island velocity direction, depending upon whether the ice island is accelerating or decelerating.

scholarly journals Equilibrium-Line Altitudes, Mass Balance, and July Freezing-Level Heights in the Canadian High Arctic

1975 ◽  
Vol 14 (71) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Equilibrium Line ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
North West ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
The North ◽  
Devon Ice Cap ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island

Equilibrium-line altitudes on the White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, and the north-west sector of the Devon Ice Cap are shown to be closely related to mean July freezing-level heights at nearby upper-air weather stations. An inverse relationship between July freezing-level heights and mass balance on the Devon Ice Cap is also shown. Reasons for such correlations are suggested and some limitations of the relationship are outlined. Recent lowering of the freezing level in July is discussed in relation to the theoretical “steady-state” equilibrium-line altitudes in the Canadian high Arctic. It is suggested that positive mass-balance years have predominated over a large part of northern Ellesmere Island and north-central Axel Heiberg Island since 1963, and some glaciological evidence supporting this hypothesis is given.

DEFINITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF LARIX (PINACEAE) WOOD BASED ON ANATOMY FROM THE MIDDLE EOCENE, AXEL HEIBERG ISLAND, CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC

IAWA Journal ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Jagels ◽  
Ben A. LePage ◽  
Mei Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Middle Eocene ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Geologic Time ◽  
Lake Formation ◽  
Bordered Pits ◽  
Ray Tracheid ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Non Destructive

This paper provides the first definitive identification of fossil Larix Miller wood using the characteristic features of ray-tracheid bordered pits. The wood was recovered from the middle Eocene (Lutetian/Uintan; 41.3– 47.5 Ma) Buchanan Lake Formation on eastern Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian High Arctic and extends the fossil record of Larix wood further back in geologic time. A new and rapid embedding method is described which provides a firm and non-destructive matrix for thinsectioning and examining the well-preserved details of the wood. The wood is associated with Larix altoborealis LePage & Basinger, a shortbracted species, which was previously described from this locality as the earliest known species of Larix.

scholarly journals Metagenome-Assembled Genome of USCα AHI, a Potential High-Affinity Methanotroph from Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (46) ◽  
Author(s):  
Calvin Rusley ◽  
Tullis C. Onstott ◽  
Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya ◽  
Alice Layton ◽  
Archana Chauhan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Layer ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
Carbon Assimilation ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Upland Soil ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island

Metagenomic sequencing of active-layer cryosols from the Canadian High Arctic has yielded a nearly complete genome for an atmospheric CH4-oxidizing bacterium belonging to upland soil cluster α (USCα). This genome contains genes involved in CH4 metabolism, H2 metabolism, and multiple carbon assimilation pathways.

scholarly journals Equilibrium-Line Altitudes, Mass Balance, and July Freezing-Level Heights in the Canadian High Arctic

1975 ◽  
Vol 14 (71) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Equilibrium Line ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
North West ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
The North ◽  
Devon Ice Cap ◽  
Axel Heiberg Island

AbstractEquilibrium-line altitudes on the White Glacier, Axel Heiberg Island, and the north-west sector of the Devon Ice Cap are shown to be closely related to mean July freezing-level heights at nearby upper-air weather stations. An inverse relationship between July freezing-level heights and mass balance on the Devon Ice Cap is also shown. Reasons for such correlations are suggested and some limitations of the relationship are outlined. Recent lowering of the freezing level in July is discussed in relation to the theoretical “steady-state” equilibrium-line altitudes in the Canadian high Arctic. It is suggested that positive mass-balance years have predominated over a large part of northern Ellesmere Island and north-central Axel Heiberg Island since 1963, and some glaciological evidence supporting this hypothesis is given.

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