INQ's Newsletter | September 2023

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INQ research program update is underway!

In order to redefine and update the research axes at the heart of the INQ's scientific program, INQ has launched a series of workshops.

The first workshop was held on September 25 at Université Laval and brought together about twenty scientists associated with Axis 3 - Ecosystem Functioning and Environmental Protection.

A second workshop, also dedicated to Axis 3, is scheduled for October 11 at the Université de Québec à Montréal. There is still time for affiliated researchers to register their interest in attending the workshop by contacting Rachel Hussherr, UQ hub coordinator at INQ.

In the coming weeks, all 5 research axes will be reviewed by our scientific community. You'll be receiving communications on this topic, and we hope to count on your participation in these important workshops for the future of northern research in Quebec.

A research consortium has carried out multiple scientific operations at the 82nd parallel, in the Nares Strait.

Aboard the unique Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen, a consortium of 14 academic and governmental institutions in Canada, Denmark and Norway carried out scientific operations at latitude 82°09.32'N as part of the third Leg of the annual expedition. As of September 14, 2023, these operations have resulted in the collection of a unique set of samples and data at the most northerly location ever sampled by the CCGS Amundsen since its inauguration in 2003.

Read the press release

The Canadian Arctic: carbon sink or source?

There's no longer any room for doubt: permafrost is thawing and thermokarst pools are emitting methane. But that doesn't mean that the Arctic and boreal forest are becoming sources of carbon, as little is known about the nature of gas flows on a landscape scale. To find out, we need to deploy large-scale gas exchange measurements and apply the eddy covariance method. This is what Oliver Sonnentag, Professor in the Department of Geography at the Université de Montréal and holder of the Canada Research Chair in Atmospheric Biogeosciences at High-Latitudes, is doing.

Read the full article

Norther Lexicon | Arctic Char

This month in the Northern Lexicon, discover a fish that has occupied a central place in the diet of Canada's Inuit for millennia.

PhD candidate in biological sciences and artist, Marie-Christine Lafrenière, presents an infographic on Arctic char. This informative sheet, aimed at a young audience, is also accompanied by a drawing to color of the featured animal in its habitat. Enjoy discovering!

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The " Northern lexicon " is a communication project aimed at the general public to broaden our general knowledge of the northern regions.

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Northern Scientific Training Program

It's time to apply to the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) for 2024-2025.

Please note : Applications must be evaluated by an internal review committee at your university. Refer to the contact person at your institution for further information on the program.

More information

A Farewell to Ice : A Report from the Arctic

An accessible presentation of the phenomenon of melting ice in the Arctic, which is occurring in the context of climate change, and its major consequences for the planet. "A Farewell to Ice” is a book by Peter Wadhams. The author outlines the potential consequences of this melting on sea levels, global climate and biodiversity. He emphasizes the need to act quickly to mitigate these effects.

Discover this resource via Atikᵁ

Atikᵁ features the best international documentary resources for research on the North and the Arctic, presented in 3 thematic collections and 6 collections by types of documents.

Surface radiometer

The study of marine luminance allows us to observe a number of oceanic phenomena, such as the abundance of phytoplankton populations, variations in primary production, and the presence of organic pollutants. In a context of upheaval linked to anthropogenic disturbances, this type of study helps us to better understand our impact on the various habitats of marine ecosystems.

Is marine luminance monitoring part of your current or future research? Lab-O-Nord presents the HyperSAS set of hyperspectral surface radiometers from SeaBird Scientific. Affiliated with the Québec-Océan Electronics Laboratory, this set of radiometers allows you to measure sea surface luminance from a boat. This relatively compact, easy-to-deploy instrument provides high accuracy, high spectral resolution measurements of upwelling, sky, and downwelling luminance from which sea surface luminance can be estimated.

See the equipment sheet on Lab-O-Nord

Lab-O-Nord is a digital platform listing the research infrastructures available to Institut nordique du Québec’s research community. The objective of the platform is to make these infrastructures known, to valorize them and to optimize their use.

To integrate your equipment in Lab-O-Nord, contact the INQ team.