These photos from Churchill are from local contributor and old friend Katie de Meulles. The northern lights continue to shine in the sub-Arctic skies and these have some different foreground features. With spring coming the birds are starting to appear across the landscape as well. These are some fun shots from northern life near Churchill….enjoy!
Northern lights with shadow of the weir observation tower in foreground. Katie de Meulles photo.
Weir observation tower by the Churchill River with aurora borealis. Katie de Meulles photo.
Old cabin in Churchill, MB. Katie de Meulles photo.
Sign post in Churchill, Mb. Katie de meulles photo.
Pine grosbeak perched on a spruce in Churchill, MB. Katie de Meulles photo.
Red poll taking flight in Churchill. Katie de Meulles photo.
Northern living in Churchill….couch on a sled being pulled by a ski do. Katie de Meulles photo.
This is a video I’ve posted before but I thought with Churchill’s Arctic summer on the horizon I’d send it your way again. This should get everyone traveling to Churchill this summer excited for the amazing and curious belugas!
Lets not forget all the other natural wonders the summer season has to offer. Birds, bears, tundra wildflowers and the phenomenal geology of the region. Summer in Churchill truly is the most diverse season for taking in a comprehensive feel for the sub-Arctic region.
Enjoy this underwater look at snorkeling with thousands of beluga whales!
After over a year of planning, researching and coordinating in Churchill, Natural Habitat’s new Aurora Pod was put to the test in March. I made the journey north to assist with placement and set-up along the Hudson Bay coast.
Northern lights above the aurora pod. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
The view out across the frozen bay and east over the snowy Precambrian shield was an immediate fit for what we were looking for. Boreal forest behind the pod shelters from wind while scattered krumholz white spruce in the foreground provide ultimate northern lights photography options. The setting allows for alternative photo experiences in daylight as well.
Inukshuk in the foreground with Precambrian shield in the distance. Courtesy natural Habitat Adventures.
The natural, sheltered nook in which the pod sits provides the ultimate location for taking in the incredible expanse of sea, land and sky of the sub – Arctic region. Overall the first test of the Aurora Pod was phenomenal. Travelers immediately experienced the perspective of viewing aurora borealis from the interior as well as using the ample open land surrounding the pod to set up tripods and capture the light show digitally. The effects were spectacular. Photographs of the pod lit subtly from within from the pellet stove also proved quite unique as well.
Aurora Pod with the northern lights in the distance. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
The Arctic and sub-Arctic permafrost is frozen soil that for the most part stays that way all year round. Carbon is stored for thousands of years in the matter of dead plants in this frozen substrate. A carbon sink is how we used to refer to it in guiding amazing Churchill Summer trips back in the day. Nearly one quarter of the the land in the Northern Hemisphere is permafrost.
Permafrost contains tons of carbon. Ed Bouvier photo.
By some scientific reports, permafrost could contain over twice as much carbon then the atmosphere already holds. Scientists believe that some of that carbon, with the increased warming in the north, is already escaping into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide or methane gas. This is just the tip of the iceberg figuratively speaking.
The National Academy of Sciences estimates that the permafrost stores 1,800 billion tons of carbon which is double that which is currently held in our atmosphere. And with the warnings of global warming that we have now this statistic is of grave concern.
When plant life dies it’s carbon content is absorbed into the permafrost. Steve Selden photo.
There is no definitive way to measure exactly how much carbon will be released from the ground as temperatures rise though delaying regulation agreements in the world today. Choosing not to dramatically reduce global emissions now is a high risk gamble that seems oversimplified by many. Once the permafrost thaws and the carbon escapes in gaseous form to our atmosphere, we can’t put it back. We can’t just refreeze the ground and turn back the clock. It’s the proverbial unpredictable genie let out of the bottle…we need to be careful what we wish for.
Estimates from projected data charts show that an average of 160 billion tons of carbon could emerge from thawing permafrost by the end of this century. The National Academy of Sciences states we need to keep atmospheric carbon down below 1,100 billion tons in order to limit temperature warming increases to 2 degrees celsius.
Arctic ice coverage has shrunk by 35 per cent over the past several decades. We have seen a stabilization of sorts over recent years even though this past winter had a record low maximum ice coverage. This coupled with other natural warning signs give reason for heightened concern over the permafrost thawing.
A lone polar bear skirts a pond in Churchill on permafrost that holds immense carbon deposits. Eric Rock photo.
Other than the threat to human lifestyle on earth, 11 keystone Arctic mammal species are under threat as well due to melting sea ice and global warming. Polar bears are of course the most iconic of these species. Changes need to be addressed immediately in order to reverse the fate of all these living creatures.
A pingo is a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and sub Arctic reaching up to 70 meters high and up to 900 meters in diameter. A pingo is a periglacial land form, or a form of patterned ground that is a characteristic of colder climates such as the Arctic or sub-Arctic. The term originates from the Inuvialuktun word for a small hill.
Periglacial is a term used to characterize an environment located on the margin of former glacially active territory. Most of these regions now have layers of permafrost beneath the the top layer of soil. However, freeze and thaw cycles can influence landscapes outside areas of past glaciation. Periglacial environments are regions where freezing and thawing alter the landscape significantly.
Pingo locations in the Canadian Arctic.
They are essentially formed by ground ice which forms during the winter when temperatures dip below the freezing point. When ground water seeps into cracks in the ground it freezes and creates “lenses” of ice which slowly increase in mass as more and more water trickles in. As they grow larger in sizes, the ground above rises from the source forcing the ground to form huge domes. Pingos can be 50-metres high and 900-metres wide. In some, the ice lens has melted and the dome has collapsed into a volcano-shaped hill.plural form is “pingos”.
