PhD candidate Ada Loewen received the George Hobson Memorial Award for Northern Physical Sciences in 2021.  This $2500 award is sponsored by the Northern Scientific Training Program at Polar Knowledge Canada.  Ada's research is on landfast sea ice deterioration and she works out of the community of Ikpiarjuk (Arctic Bay) and Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet).  Congratulations [...]

We are grieving the loss of our colleague and friend Doug King who died of cancer on May 12th, 2021. Doug was often involved in WIRL research, as co-supervisor, committee member and examiner for many of our students. Doug was also passionate about music and played drums in a band with Murray.  He was a [...]

We are saddened that our 2019 Milne Fiord (Ellesmere Island) field team member and helicopter pilot, Steve Page, was killed in an accident a few days ago near Resolute.  We had a great, but all too brief, time with him in the field.  Steve was generous, helpful, and fun-loving.  He was curious, was interested in [...]

Here is an image of the Milne Ice Shelf taken from a Twin Otter on March 30, 2021 by Troy Mckerral of Borek Air.  This is the first close up view of the ice shelf since it broke up last July.   Thanks to the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) for arranging the flight!

Following the news of the Milne Ice Shelf calving event in July, Science just published a Perspective by Warwick Vincent and Derek Mueller that calls for enhanced conservation of vulnerable ice-dependent ecosystems in both the marine and terrestrial environment along the planet's northern-most coastline.  This region, known as the "Last Ice Area" (from northern Greenland [...]

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow or Research Associate (1 year term, starting in January 2021) to develop and implement a local, operational model of Arctic landfast sea ice break-up. Landfast sea ice plays an important role in the lives of Inuit living in Canada’s Arctic; acting as a platform for transportation to and from [...]

Ada Loewen recently defended her MSc thesis "Landfast Sea Ice Break-up Processes in Admiralty Inlet, NU".  Well done!  You can read more about her work here.

Derek Mueller, Adrienne White, Luke Copland, Jérémie Bonneau and Andrew Hamilton all commented on the recent break-up of the Milne Ice Shelf.  Here are some selected stories (there are too many to post): CTV - Canada's last remaining intact ice shelf collapses Globe and Mail - Collapse of Canadian ice shelf a sign of climate [...]

A press release with further details on the Milne Ice Shelf break-up just went out.  As well, check out this web page that has more background information, satellite images, plus videos and photos (of the ice shelf last year)!

Sadly, Milne Ice Shelf has calved recently.  Here is the announcement from our colleague Dr. Adrienne White at the Canadian Ice Service. https://twitter.com/ECCC_CIS/status/1290045576692658176?cxt=HJwWgMCj7b7nlOcjAAAA  It is lucky that we were not on the ice shelf when this happened, our camp area and instruments were all destroyed in this event. For more information on this event see: [...]