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The research icereaker CCG Amundsen.
Large Canadian Arctic climate change stud cancelled
due to climate change
June 12, 2017 — The cience Team of the Canadian Research Icereaker CCG Amundsen has
cancelled the first leg of the 2017 xpedition due to complications associated with the southward
motion of hazardous Arctic sea ice, caused climate change.
This regrettal postpones the much-anticipated Hudson a stem tud (as) involving 40
scientists from five universities across Canada. Timing was ke for this $17 million, four-ear,
Universit of Manitoa-led project.
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2017612 UM Today | Large Canadian Arctic climate change study cancelled due to climate change
The need to deal with extreme ice conditions in the south meant the ship would arrive too late on
site to meet research ojectives.
The Arctic deploment of the Canadian Research Icereaker CCG Amundsen is undertaken
through a long-standing collaoration etween the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Universit-
led Arctic science in Canada.
This productive partnership has een providing Canadian researchers and their international
colleagues with the ailit to monitor and understand the impacts of climate change and resource
development on Arctic marine and coastal ecosstems and northern communities since 2003.
This ear the xpedition Logistics and cience Teams accelerated the moilization of the 2017
Arctic xpedition to permit departure of the Amundsen six das ahead of schedule.
This would allow CCG to carr out critical marine safet and securit operations in the unusuall
severe ice conditions in the trait of elle Isle and along the northeast coast of Newfoundland
efore eginning the cience Mission.
Unfortunatel, the conditions required much more extended support than anticipated. Fleet
management issues and inadequate alternative ships forced the cancellation of the science
program due to significant safet concerns.
This decision to cancel the as 2017 program was not made lightl. Although the cancellation
was due to circumstances eond control of the xpedition Team, ever effort was made to
develop a viale option to allow this valuale work to proceed.
The decision to terminate the 2017 program has significant impacts on partners and the large
numer of graduate students involved.
“Considering the severe ice conditions and the increasing
demand for earch And Rescue operations (AR) and ice
escort, we decided to cancel the as mission. A second
week of dela meant our research ojectives just could
not e safel achieved – the challenge for us all was that
the marine ice hazards were exceedingl difficult for the
maritime industr, the CCG, and science,” sas Dr. David
arer, xpedition Chief cientist and as cientific
Lead.
Dr. arer and his team of experts were ale to use the state-of-the-art equipment onoard the
Amundsen to confirm that a significant proportion of the sea ice present originated from the high
Arctic.
He noted that, “Climate-related changes in Arctic sea ice not onl reduce its extent and thickness
ut also increase its moilit meaning that ice conditions are likel to ecome more variale and
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2017612 UM Today | Large Canadian Arctic climate change study cancelled due to climate change
severe conditions such as these will occur more often.”
The ea Ice Research Team collected a comprehensive dataset on the phsics of the ice, ocean
and atmosphere in the area and these data will contriute to the understanding of these events
and assist Canada in preparing for climate change driven increases in marine ice hazards.
“This extremel unfortunate event is not expected to affect the remainder of the 2017 Amundsen
xpedition resuming on Jul 6. We elieve that the oceanographic studies will proceed as planned
and do not anticipate an impact on the Nunavik Inuit Health urve, sas Dr. Louis Fortier,
cientific Director of the Amundsen and ArcticNet cience programs. “The Amundsen cience
Team is committed to working with Canadian Coast Guard and our industrial partners to plan a
2018 as program.”
The research of our scientists clearl indicate that climate change is not something that is going to
happen in the future – it is alread here. Research results from scientists onoard the Amundsen
and innovative Networks like ArcticNet show the impacts of climate change in Canada’s Arctic and
Arctic Ocean affect not onl northern ecosstems and communities, ut also the environments and
people living in the south of Canada – as so dramaticall seen off the coast of Newfoundland.
The provision of the est information possile is essential for proper planning, decision–making
and adaptation to the realities of climate change.
This experience, and climate change conditions currentl affecting Churchill, Man., clearl
illustrates that Canada is ill prepared to deal with the realities of climate change.
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