Augmenting Inuit knowledge for safe sea-ice travel — The SmartICE information system

ABSTRACTSea ice has been, and continues to be, an integral component of life in the Inuit community of Cape Dorset, Nunavut. Located on an island of the same name off the southwestern coast of Baffin Island, the strong Hudson Strait currents prevent extensive ice formation around the community. Nevertheless, sea ice remains an important travel and hunting platform, enabling access to Baffin Island, hunting and fishing grounds, and nearby communities. With the combined importance, dynamism, and continuous use of this frozen ocean environment, local Inuit elders and hunters have developed a detailed and nuanced understanding of sea ice conditions, freeze/thaw processes, and the influences of winds and currents on ice conditions. Working collaboratively with the community of Cape Dorset since October, 2003, we present the results of 30 semi-directed interviews, 5 sea ice trips, and 2 focus groups to provide a baseline understanding of local freezing processes (near-shore, open water, sea ice thickening, landfast ice, floe edge, and tidal cracks), melting processes (snow melt, water accumulation and drainage, break-up, and cracks/leads), wind influences on sea ice (wind direction and strength affecting sea ice formation, and movement), and current influences on sea ice (tidal variations and current strength affecting sea ice formation, movement, and polynya size/location). Strong emphasis is placed on Inuktitut terminology and spatial delineations of localised ice conditions and features. Therefore, this paper provides insights into local scale ice conditions and dynamics around Cape Dorset that are not captured in regional scale studies of Hudson Bay and/or Hudson Strait. Results have the potential to inform future research efforts on local/regional sea ice monitoring, the relationship between Inuit knowledge, language, and the environment, and addressing community interests through targeted studies.

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Implementation of an On-Site Sea Ice Information System

10.4043/25556-ms ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

L. Rabenstein ◽

P. Cochrane ◽

S. Hendricks ◽

M. Itkin ◽

T. Krumpen

Keyword(s):

Information System ◽

Sea Ice

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Bridging perspectives from remote Sensing and Inuit communities on changing Sea-ice cover in the Baffin Bay region

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/172756406781811790 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 433-438 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Walter N. Meier ◽

Julienne Stroeve ◽

Shari Gearheard

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Local Level ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Passive Microwave ◽

Regional Variability ◽

Sea Ice Extent ◽

Baffin Bay ◽

Inuit Knowledge ◽

Arctic Summer

AbstractPassive microwave imagery indicates a decreasing trend in Arctic Summer Sea-ice extent Since 1979. The Summers of 2002–05 have exhibited particularly reduced extent and have reinforced the downward trend. Even the winter periods have now Shown decreasing trends. At the local level, Arctic residents are also noticing changes in Sea ice. In particular, indigenous elders and hunters report changes Such as earlier break-up, later freeze-up and thinner ice. The changing conditions have profound implications for Arctic-wide climate, but there is also regional variability in the extent trends. These can have important ramifications for wildlife and indigenous communities in the affected regions. Here we bring together observations from remote Sensing with observations and knowledge of Inuit who live in the Baffin Bay region. Weaving the complementary perspectives of Science and Inuit knowledge, we investigate the processes driving changes in Baffin Bay Sea-ice extent and discuss the present and potential future effects of changing Sea ice on local activities.

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Developing a web-based sea ice information system using GIS

10.32920/ryerson.14661249 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chenfeng Xiong

Keyword(s):

Information System ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Web Application ◽

Information Services ◽

Prototype System ◽

Web Pages ◽

System Quality ◽

Rich Internet Application ◽

Web Based ◽

Gis System

The Canadian Ice Service (CIS) has made available online access to some collections of its ice service archive. Currently, most of these historical ice information services are organized by a sort of static map images and web pages. Users can only view static result images of sea ice analyses or download raw sea ice data from the site. However, it is difficult for users to generate customized analyses without sophisticated information technology (IT). This thesis focuses on a sea ice information system (SIIS) designed specifically to improve the current CIS website with a possible method in developing web-based sea ice GIS system. The main achievements of the thesis are: (1) it accomplishes an SIIS design based on the popular web application principle known as Rich Internet Application (RIA); (2) it applies many current technologies around RIA and GIS to improve system quality; and (3) a prototype system is also developed to demonstrate how GIS may help in improving GIS-based online ice information services.

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The Best of Both Worlds: Connecting Remote Sensing and Arctic Communities for Safe Sea Ice Travel

ARCTIC ◽

10.14430/arctic71896 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 73 (4) ◽

pp. 461-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rebecca A. Segal ◽

Randall K. Scharien ◽

Frank Duerden ◽

Chui-Ling Tam

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Surface Roughness ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Image Data ◽

Community Members ◽

Edge Information ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Ice Surface ◽

Inuit Knowledge ◽

Ice Surface Roughness

Northern communities are increasingly interested in technology that provides information about the sea ice environment for travel purposes. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing is widely used to observe sea ice independently of sunlight and cloud cover, however, access to SAR in northern communities has been limited. This study 1) defines the sea ice features that influence travel for two communities in the Western Canadian Arctic, 2) identifies the utility of SAR for enhancing mobility and safety while traversing environments with these features, and 3) describes methods for sharing SAR-based maps. Three field seasons (spring and fall 2017 and spring 2018) were used to engage residents in locally guided research, where applied outputs were evaluated by community members. We found that SAR image data inform and improve sea ice safety, trafficability, and education. Information from technology is desired to complement Inuit knowledge-based understanding of sea ice features, including surface roughness, thin sea ice, early and late season conditions, slush and water on sea ice, sea ice encountered by boats, and ice discontinuities. Floe edge information was not a priority. Sea ice surface roughness was identified as the main condition where benefits to trafficability from SAR-based mapping were regarded as substantial. Classified roughness maps are designed using thresholds representing domains of sea ice surface roughness (smooth ice/maniqtuk hiku, moderately rough ice/maniilrulik hiku, rough ice/maniittuq hiku; dialect is Inuinnaqtun). These maps show excellent agreement with local observations. Overall, SAR-based maps tailored for on-ice use are beneficial for and desired by northern community residents, and we recommend that high-resolution products be routinely made available in communities.

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Sila qanuippa? (how's the weather?): Integrating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and environmental forecasting products to support travel safety around Pond Inlet, Nunavut in a changing climate

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-20-0174.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Natasha Simonee ◽

Jayko Alooloo ◽

Natalie Ann Carter ◽

Gita Ljubicic ◽

Jackie Dawson

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Service Providers ◽

Weather Forecasting ◽

Wind Waves ◽

Measurement Data ◽

Time Lapse ◽

Online Information ◽

Weather Patterns ◽

Inuit Knowledge ◽

Circumpolar Arctic

AbstractAs Inuit hunters living in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, we (Natasha Simonee and Jayko Alooloo) travel extensively on land, water, and sea ice. Climate change, including changing sea ice and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, has made it riskier and harder for us to travel and hunt safely. Inuit knowledge supporting safe travel is also changing and shared less between generations. We increasingly use online weather, marine, and ice products to develop locally relevant forecasts. This helps us to make decisions according to wind, waves, precipitation, visibility, sea ice conditions, and floe edge location. We apply our forecasts and share them with fellow community members to support safe travel. In this paper, we share the approach we developed from over a decade of systematically and critically assessing forecasting products such as: Windy.com; weather and marine forecasts; tide tables; C-CORE’s floe edge monitoring service; SmartICE; ZoomEarth; and time lapse cameras. We describe the strengths and challenges we face when accessing, interpreting, and applying each product throughout different seasons. Our analysis highlights a disconnect between available products and local needs. This disconnect can be overcome by service providers adjusting services to include: more seasonal and real-time information, non-technical language, familiar units of measurement, data size proportional to internet access cost and speed, and clear relationships between weather/marine/ice information and safe travel. Our findings have potential relevance in the Circumpolar Arctic and beyond, wherever people combine Indigenous weather forecasting methods and online information for decision-making. We encourage service providers to improve product relevance and accessibility.

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Human geographies of sea ice: freeze/thaw processes around Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada

Polar Record ◽

10.1017/s0032247407007152 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 127-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Gita J. Laidler ◽

Theo Ikummaq

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Open Water ◽

Current Strength ◽

Ice Formation ◽

Future Research ◽

Freeze Thaw ◽

Ice Conditions ◽

Inuit Knowledge ◽

Ocean Environment

ABSTRACTSea ice has been, and continues to be, an integral component of life in the Inuit community of Igloolik, Nunavut. Located on an island of the same name off the northeastern coast of Melville Peninsula, extensive ice formation occurs in Fury and Hecla Strait. This creates an important travel and hunting platform, and enables access to Baffin Island, the mainland, moving ice, hunting and fishing grounds, and nearby communities. With the combined importance, dynamism, and continuous use of this frozen ocean environment, local Inuit elders and hunters have developed a detailed and nuanced understanding of sea ice conditions, freeze/thaw processes, and the influences of winds and currents on ice conditions. Working collaboratively with the community of Igloolik since February 2004, we present the results of 24 semi-directed interviews and 4 sea ice trips to provide a baseline understanding of local freezing processes (near-shore, open water, sea ice thickening, landfast ice, tidal cracks, floe edge, and moving ice), melting processes (snow melt, water accumulation and drainage, and break-up), wind influences on sea ice (wind direction and strength affecting sea ice formation and movement), and, current influences on sea ice (tidal variations and current strength affecting sea ice formation, movement, and polynya size/location). Strong emphasis is placed on Inuktitut terminology and spatial delineations of localised ice conditions and features. Therefore, this paper provides insights into local scale ice conditions and dynamics around Igloolik that are not captured in regional scale studies of Foxe Basin and/or Fury and Hecla Strait. Results have the potential to inform future research efforts on local/regional sea ice monitoring, the relationship between Inuit knowledge, language, and the environment, and addressing community interests through targeted studies.

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Life on the ice: understanding the codes of a changing environment

Polar Record ◽

10.1017/s0032247400018039 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 38 (207) ◽

pp. 341-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Claudio Aporta

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Oral History ◽

Deep Understanding ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

The Moon ◽

Full Account ◽

Scientific Approach ◽

Inuit Knowledge ◽

Complex Relationships

ABSTRACTThis article is concerned with the knowledge of sea ice as developed and transmitted by the Inuit of Igloolik (Nunavut, Canada). The information on which this article is based was obtained from travelling, observation, and interviewing carried out from October 2000 to May 2001 in Igloolik, as well as several existing interviews from the Igloolik Oral History Project database. Inuit knowledge of sea ice reveals a deep understanding of the complex relationships between ice, currents, the Moon, and the winds, as well as a holistic approach to knowledge where classification based on a western scientific approach becomes difficult, if not counter-productive. Through detailed knowledge of ice topography, sea ice becomes a familiar territory for the Inuit of Igloolik, and, through the understanding of the ‘codes’ of the moving ice, its changing nature becomes predictable. This article does not pretend to give a full account of a system of knowledge the understanding of which requires a lifetime of practice and observation. However, it describes some of its elements and offer some insights regarding this complex aspect of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit knowledge, also known as IQ).

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