A better understanding of northern landscapes and a changing climate was the goal of interactive training that happened at StFX Nov. 17-21 as the university's FluxLab led by Dr. Dave Risk hosted members of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI) for methane detection and measurement training.
Dr. Garfield Giff, manager, GIS Programs, and Celtie Ferguson, GIS technician, of ARI, the research division of Aurora College, were on campus for training in developing and providing methane data in the Northwest Territories.
L-r, are Dr. Dave Risk, Austin Bailey, Garfield Giff, Celtie Ferguson and Lindi Coyle.
The hands-on training will provide practical skills for designing, executing, and analyzing methane surveys tailored to the unique environments of the Northwest Territories. The course covered survey methodologies (truck, drone), operational challenges in cold and high-latitude conditions, environmental source characterization, and data processing.
The training StFX is providing is linked to a project for which C-CORE was awarded funding from the Canadian Space Agency through the smartEarth initiative. C-CORE is a research organization that specializes in environmental monitoring and sustainability through remote sensing, ocean, and ice engineering. Their work focuses on developing innovative solutions to address environmental risks and promote responsible resource development in remote and challenging environments.
"C-CORE subcontracted FluxLab to lead ground-based methane measurements in the Northwest Territories, out of Inuvik, covering areas from the Yukon border to the Arctic Ocean. The focus is on key transportation routes and permafrost features including slumps and riverbank erosion zones," says Lindi Coyle of the FluxLab.
"We're collaborating with ARI on this project by providing the sensor systems to collect data and the technical expertise needed to analyze methane emissions from these landscapes."
Ms. Coyle says FluxLab and ARI have a great chance to build on their collaboration.
"The skills ARI is gaining from this training will help grow local capacity in the North and improve our understanding of how these landscapes are changing. We're working closely with Garfield, Celtie, and their team, along with the C-CORE team, and we're excited to be part of collaborative projects that are really all about better understanding northern landscapes and the impact of methane release in a changing climate."
This work is based at ARI's Inuvik headquarters, located at the Western Arctic Research Centre. FluxLab would like to acknowledge that this project activity is undertaken with the financial support of the Canadian Space Agency.
