After two years of pandemic restrictions preventing work on the ground, our research team, including MSc student Veronique Landriault and undergraduate research student Sydney Campbell, are in Resolute, Nunavut conducting fieldwork towards their thesis projects. Here is an update from Veronique in the field:
“My research is looking at the hydrochemistry of wetlands in the hope to understand the spatial and temporal variations in surface water chemistry of hydrogeomorphologically distinct wetlands. Sydney is studying river discharge of three main rivers representing a gradient of vegetation cover (low, moderate, high vegetation cover) in the area to understand how river water chemistry evolves throughout the season across watersheds with varying degrees of vegetation cover. With climate change and continuous permafrost degradation, it's integral to know the baseline hydrochemistry of surface water to better predict how changes in precipitation and permafrost conditions will alter the concentrations of permafrost-derived nutrients, contaminants and metal ions in freshwaters, as these solutes can have important impacts on biogeochemical cycles in aqueous systems.
My time in Resolute has been an experience with many ups and downs. With the Polar Continental Shelf Program being based in Resolute, exceptional accommodations, and food that is beyond what one would expect for fieldwork. Comfy beds and good conversations with multi-disciplinary scientists make Resolute an unforgettable experience. Although my time here has been a blast, there have been some challenges, which is to be expected for any fieldwork. With this being my first ever Arctic fieldwork experience, there has been a lot that I’ve had to learn as I go. The biggest challenge has been to adapt to constantly changing field conditions and be able to adjust my project aims and sampling strategies based on the conditions observed at the wetlands I am studying.
P.S. There are a lot of cute foxes roaming around!”