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Amundsen_Science_Arctic_Expedition

Baffin sea, Canada - July 2021 - Science icebreaker CCGS Amundsen sailing in Southwind fjord Sediment transport from break-up and melting glaciers can trigger underwater avalanches, but Alexandre Normandeau, a marine geoscientist at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, discovered that an iceberg he had seen the previous year had run aground on the fjord floor some time later. A few days later, it capsized, ploughing the ocean floor and triggering an underwater avalanche. These underwater landslides can threaten marine life, cause tsunamis and damage infrastructure such as underwater internet cables. As climate change causes more icebergs to calve from existing ice caps, understanding the risks posed by icebergs could mitigate damage to new infrastructure projects. In Canada, efforts are underway to connect northern communities with undersea internet cables, which would be particularly at risk. But icebergs travelling thousands of kilometres can cause underwater landslides far from their place of origin. "It's important to be aware of the trigger mechanisms when planning the seafloor infrastructure," explains Alexandre. Just as the visible portion of an iceberg is only a tiny part of the drifting mass of ice, the ploughing they do when they collide with the seafloor may just be the first clues to new tracks to follow.

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20210731_Amundsen_Science_Arctic_Expedition_MAP_111507_K.jpg
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© 2021 Marc-Andre Pauze - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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4001x2667 / 3.1MB
Contained in galleries
Annual Amundsen Expedition, Arctic Landscape
Baffin sea, Canada - July 2021 - Science icebreaker CCGS Amundsen sailing in Southwind fjord Sediment transport from break-up and melting glaciers can trigger underwater avalanches, but Alexandre Normandeau, a marine geoscientist at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, discovered that an iceberg he had seen the previous year had run aground on the fjord floor some time later. A few days later, it capsized, ploughing the ocean floor and triggering an underwater avalanche. These underwater landslides can threaten marine life, cause tsunamis and damage infrastructure such as underwater internet cables. As climate change causes more icebergs to calve from existing ice caps, understanding the risks posed by icebergs could mitigate damage to new infrastructure projects. In Canada, efforts are underway to connect northern communities with undersea internet cables, which would be particularly at risk. But icebergs travelling thousands of kilometres can cause underwater landslides far from their place of origin. "It's important to be aware of the trigger mechanisms when planning the seafloor infrastructure," explains Alexandre. Just as the visible portion of an iceberg is only a tiny part of the drifting mass of ice, the ploughing they do when they collide with the seafloor may just be the first clues to new tracks to follow.