Iqaluit researchers conduct climate change study

SEAN McKIBBON
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT— Iqaluit researchers are participating in a circumpolar study of climate change using a common wildflower.

A small, delicate, yellow flower, the mountain aven grows in almost all of the 20 or more sites around the world being used by the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) to keep an eye on global warming.

Ever since the spring, Nunavut Research Institute employees Jamal Shirley and Leesee Papatsie have been going out to a site north of the Apex road near Brian Pearson’s residence to check on the growth of the tiny flowers.

“It has a lot of different stages to it,” says Papatsie, describing how the flower’s stages of growth from bud to bloom to seed are easily definable and can be readily matched up to dates and climate conditions.

She says that the results from Iqaluit will be compared to other sites around the world and it is hoped this will serve to give a more complete picture of how the world’s climate is changing.

“It’s a simple indicator of climatic change,” says Bruce Rigby, director of the Nunavut Research Institute.

“One of the great things that we’re learning is that small ticket experiments like this one work as well as the big ticket experiments.”

Rigby says that by taking soil samples and making note of sunlight, radiation and other environmental conditions where the experiment is taking place, Iqaluit’s results can be compared to results from other places.

Also because of the simplicity of the experiment, it’s relatively easy to reproduce elsewhere. Rigby says that local schools may even get involved with the monitoring of mountain avens, helping to get a more complete picture of the climate in Iqaluit.

Similar experiments are going on in Igloolik and another site will soon be set up in Auyuituq National Park.

Small indicators are more important than many people realize he says.

“People have in their heads this idea that climate change happens in this slow arithmetic progression.” But that just isn’t the case he says. Small changes in climate can build upon one another he says leading to violent swings in the weather.