Our third field test was conducted in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, Canada between February and July 2026. The pumping operations were conducted in February and March. This time around, we installed new and improved measurement stations, and used larger, custom-made flood pumps. The scale of the operations was also much larger, both in time and space than in our first field test in Svalbard and the second one in Newfoundland.
Our main objectives in the field tests were to:
- Conducting a more extensive measurement campaign, which will include more elaborate measurements such as frequent drone flights during both the melting and the pumping phase, as well as measuring and monitoring the properties of thickened against reference ice;
- Testing the new and improved pumping platform we have developed;
- Collaborating with the local Inuit community, a broader group of scientists, including ecologists and sea ice experts.
This field test featured on NOS, the Dutch news channel, the Belgian News channel, VRT, and other print media.
Our main findings
We are still the midst of this field test and look forward to sharing our findings once we have completed our data collection and conducted our analysis.
In the meantime, you can find our preliminary findings/observations on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter.
The Team
Team 1: Tom Meijeraan, Cody Owen, Faye Parker, Rob Pritchett, Tom Heyning, Wytse Petrie and Bipasha van der Zijde.
Local sea ice experts: David Iqqaqsaq, Noah Qiyuqtaq, Saki Arnaquq, Jordan Veevee, Colin Kooneeliusie and Edmon Kooneeliusie.
Team 2: Fonger Ypma, Soroosh Afzali, Samuli Mikkola, Felix Levy, Geoffrey Evatt, Robbie David Christopher Mallett, and Willem Schellingerhout.
Updates from Qikiqtarjuaq
-
·
Why Arctic sea ice intervention research can’t wait
Our advisors play a crucial role in ensuring the success of our endeavour. This week we talk to our advisor Dr. Geoffrey (Geoff) Evatt a Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester. Geoff has specialised in glaciology for almost 20 years, and we ask him how he became involved with Arctic Reflections…
-
·
Into the melt: Summer fieldwork in Qikiqtarjuaq
Earlier this year, from 2 February to 8 March, we were in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut in Canada, for our third field test on researching refreezing the Arctic sea ice. Our first field test was conducted in Svalbard (Norway), followed by one in Newfoundland. In February, we drilled holes into the sea ice and pumped the sea water from…
-
·
News from our third field test
Since our return from our third field test in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut in Canada, we’ve been busy sorting through all the data we collected over six weeks. The videos below provide a first-hand account of our field test. What we set out to do We’re happy that we met all three of our core objectives. What we measured Our drone flights…