Lassonde prof. in Canadian Arctic measuring ice thickness

Lassonde prof. Christian Haas is in the Canadian Arctic working with colleagues from Memorial University to help northern communities measure ice thickness.

Ice thickness measurements in Eclipse Sound, near Pond Inlet, Nunavut are a part of the SmartICE project led by Memorial University. Professor Haas from Lassonde is contributing electromagnetic ice thickness measurements which allow to continuously survey along snowmobile travel routes.

The ice thickness sensor is carried on a sledge behind the snowmobile. York University’s objective is to develop these sledges into SmartQamutiqs (Qamutiq is the Inuit name for these sledges) which Inuit hunters and rangers can take along on their own snowmobile journeys.

Icebergs drift into the Canadian Arctic in the summer and are then frozen into the surrounding landfast ice during the winter. The sea ice is approximately 1.6 m thick.