The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of April 16, 2018

Arctic discovery makes the universe seem a little more like home

Analysis of ice penetrating radar data of Canada’s Devon Ice Cap has revealed two hypersaline lakes around 600 m below the ice surface. Researchers were surprised by the discovery of liquid water in this environment where ambient temperature is consistently below -10C. Subglacial lakes exist all across Antarctica and a few have been found in the Arctic, but none have ever been found in the Canada before. Even more unique is the fact these two lakes are the first of their kind: under a glacier, cut-off from marine and meltwater sources, with water five times saltier than seawater (ScienceDaily). Scientists believe more of these lakes may be found in the Canadian High Arctic (Phys.org).

Take 1: Scientists believe that the physical environment of the lakes could make a good analogue for life on Europa, one of Jupiter’s 69 moons. Like these lakes, the surface water on Europa is salty and covered by a thick layer of ice that disconnects the water and atmosphere. Any microbial life in these lakes would have evolved in relative isolation and likely subsists off of rocks, since the lake has been covered for around 120,000 years. If scientists can find life under the ice, they may be able to elucidate mechanisms used to survive by the still undiscovered life on Europa (The Globe and Mail).

Healing through Arctic tradition, culture

Construction has begun on the 2018 Arctic Inspiration Prize winner The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation’s new ‘on-the-land healing camp’ in Yellowknife (CBC). The organization was established last year to help at-risk Inuit, Dene and Métis people and its new centre will serve those struggling with issues including mental health, addiction, and trauma. The goal for this centre is to create a place where people can stay closer to home, while receiving holistic counseling that incorporates traditional practices (APTN News).

Take 2: In recent years, culturally-tailored counseling has become much more popular for Arctic indigenous groups, who experience disportionate substance-abuse and suicide rates. A program in Alaska called Qungasvik, the Yup’ik word for ‘toolbox’, is an online program that seeks to connect young people with their culture (VOANews). This is one of the most important aspects of outreach programs in indigenous communities, as evidence exists that youths disconnected from their culture are more at risk for substance abuse and suicide (NCBI, EOTA).

Alaska’s salmon stocks sinking

Alaskans are bracing for a financial hit as fishery managers are predicting a 34% decrease in the salmon harvest this year. This is bad news for coastal and interior Alaskans because of reduced income for coastal communities and input into the state’s general fund (The Arctic Sounder). Fisheries biologists are unsure what exactly is causing the shortages in recent salmon runs, but it’s suspected to be an issue with salmon survival in the ocean because many are not making it back to freshwater spawning grounds (Juneau Empire).

Take 3: The Canadian minister overseeing fisheries believes that overfishing is playing a large role in North American salmon stocks and has called for G7 countries to use military and other surveillance to reduce illegal overfishing. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made protecting the oceans a key priority for his G7 meeting this summer, but has focused more on reducing plastic in the world’s oceans (National Post). With today’s technology, illegal harvesting is easier to monitor than ever, but international cooperation in enforcement will still be key in tackling this problem.

Breaking the ice across the Arctic

Icebreaker acquisition is a hot topic in the Arctic and near Arctic states this week. The Government Accountability Office of the USA just released a report on the US Coast Guard and Navy’s plans to acquire three new icebreakers for use in the Arctic and Antarctic. The ships will cost a maximum of $9.827 billion and design proposals have been solicited (Government Accountability Office).

Take 4: Who will produce these new icebreakers is currently unknown, but China’s first home-built icebreaker is now in production. The basic ship is based on a Finnish design, but the detail and production design have been all Chinese. Finland has been the traditional source for the world’s icebreakers and certainly has their eye on the US contract (HNN).

Canada wants quantum radar surveillance

Scientists at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing are developing a new sensing technology called using quantum technology. If successful, the technology should be a leap forward for radar technology (The Record). The development is being funded by a program from Canada’s Department of National Defence, which funds research on “enhanced domain awareness of air, maritime surface and sub-surface approaches to Canada,” and has a special interest in Arctic security (Vice).

Take 5: Conventional radar works similarly to echo-location, but with pulsed radio waves. One of the problems with this system is the amount of background noise operators have to contend with. The concept of quantum radar is based on quantum illumination, where light particles called photons are produced and paired. This entanglement leaves a sign on the photon that the receiver should be able to use this tagging to filter out background noise. Unfortunately, quantum entanglement, which forms the basis of the method, is the biggest holdback of the technology. It will probably be several years before entangled photons can be produced easily enough for commercial use (Vice, UWaterloo).