by Brodie Thomas
Northern News Services
Published Friday, August 22, 2008

IVVAVIK NATIONAL PARK - Scientists from several branches of the federal government are using satellite imagery to track possible changes in Northern landscapes due to climate change.

Rob Fraser is a research scientist with the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Natural Resources Canada. He recently traveled to Ivvavik National Park to compare satellite images with what is actually on the ground.

Research Scientist Rob Fraser and Aklavik resident Sam McLeod were recently in Ivvavik National Park, just across the Yukon border, testing the permafrost. Scientists hope to use satellite maps to track how the landscape is changing with the climate. - Brodie Thomas/NNSL photo

"It allowed you develop a baseline ground cover map and then you can track changes from that baseline," said Fraser.

Fraser said Parks Canada is responsible for reporting to the Parliament every five years on the state of each national park. This project will make that much easier.

"There are a lot of large parks across Canada," he said. "By using satellite imaging it is more cost effective and feasible to rack the changes that are going on."

Once they have completed the map, researchers plan to compare records from back as far as 1985 to see changes that have already taken place.

Fraser traveled to Ivvavik with Greg Brooks, a geologist with the Geological Survey of Canada. They stayed in the park for a week to collect data. Both had heard there is a lot of wildlife in the park, but neither saw any of the big animals.

"I felt kind of short changed in the animal department because I didn't see any bear, caribou or moose, but I saw lots of siksiks," said Brooks. He said the ground squirrels invaded their camp, getting inside one person's tent.

The researchers had some help from some Aklavik residents who were also in the park, including Sam McLeod who assisted with permafrost tests.

While Brooks had a lot of work to do and a lot of ground to cover, he said everyone had to stop now and then just to take in the scenery.

"There aren't really words to describe it," he said. "It is spectacular country."