Cliffs collapsing into the sea, archaeological sites flooded: the effects of global warming on the island of Herschel Qikiqtaruk in the northern Yukon are spectacular. To demonstrate the extent of this development, a research group converted their data into a virtual reality experience.
Published at 12:01 am. Updated at 05:00.
“Last summer it was up to 25°C. We could swim in the sea for two hours, which has never happened before. It was surreal,” says Isla Myers-Smith, leader of the Team Shrub research group, via video interview.
Ms. Myers-Smith is a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Edinburgh and has worked on Herschel Qikiqtaruk Island for 15 years.
“After a week or two of mild weather, we saw a large piece of land break off and roll down the slope. This is the first time I've seen such a rapid change! »
The researcher was aware that scientific articles were “rather dry and boring” and wondered how he could ensure that the data collected was more lively and triggered more interaction with the public.
This is even more important for him because his country is not very accessible. Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk) Territorial Park is located in the Beaufort Sea, 5 kilometers off the northern coast of the Yukon. It is only open to tourists from mid-June to mid-September and they must be equipped for independent camping in the arctic environment. Inuvialuit (Inuit from the western Canadian Arctic) still practice traditional hunting and fishing activities on the island, but many do not have the means to get there.
PHOTO JEFFREY KERBY, PROVIDED BY THE DANISH UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS
Permafrost sliding into the sea on the coasts of Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk) in the Yukon
The Qikiqtaruk Project: Arctic in Danger
Virtual reality emerged as a way to connect “communities and people who don’t have the opportunity to visit the site as often” with the changes taking place there.
The Qikiqtaruk: Arctic at Risk project emerged during the pandemic, when researchers had some free time and could not go to the island.
PHOTO GERGANA DASKALOVA, PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Isla Myers-Smith, a professor at the University of British Columbia and the University of Edinburgh, leader of the Team Shrub research group, with a drone used in her work in the Arctic
Ms. Myers-Smith and her colleague Jeff Kerby from Denmark's Aarhus University recruited a virtual reality specialist and received initial funding from the National Geographic Society, with additional funding added. The park's lead curator, an Inuvialuit, and researchers from the Northwest Territories (NWT) are also part of the project.
The island's landscapes were recreated by researchers compiling photos taken with a drone and adding animations. “These photos were not originally taken to create a virtual reality environment, they were part of our data collection. So everything is based on scientific data. And because the raw data looked pixelated, elements like plants and caribou were created with animations. » The buildings were recreated using lidar scans carried out by a team of archaeologists.
The NWT communities of Aklavik and Inuvik, whose indigenous people frequently visit the island, were among the first to discover immersive videos. Images showing the island's historic buildings being attacked by rising waters sparked particularly strong reactions.
Because in addition to the solid buildings, witnesses of previous commercial and administrative activities (American whalers, RCMP, etc.), the site contains remains of traditional Inuvialuit grass huts that are several hundred years old.
Last summer we were there when a team of archaeologists excavated two of these grass huts on the edge of the beach because they had a feeling they would be gone by the end of the summer. That's exactly what happened: Excavations began in June, and by August the site was under water. It happened before our eyes!
Isla Myers-Smith, professor and researcher at the University of British Columbia and the University of Edinburgh
Coastal erosion is spectacular. The 116 km2 island loses an average of up to one meter per year, and in some places more. “In 2017 we saw around 30 meters of erosion in one place. If you think about it, it's huge, it's like your entire foreground piece! »
PHOTO JEFFREY KERBY, PROVIDED BY THE DANISH UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS
Coastal erosion on Herschel Island (Qikiqtaruk), Yukon, 2019
The team hopes to present their immersive video at the World Economic Forum in Davos next January, in collaboration with the scientific organization Arctic Base Camp, which is setting up camp around the forum to raise awareness of the changing Arctic.
Striking changes
Over the course of about 15 years, Myers-Smith watched as areas of bare ground became green and tundra vegetation (especially shrubs) increased in height.
And since the early 2000s, flowering begins about a week earlier. However, many plants in the region rely on pollinators, and if all the flowers appear quickly at the same time, bumblebees and bees may not have time to collect all their nectar, the researcher explains.
“As these systems warm, there will be winner species and loser species, and pollinating bees could be among the losers. Everything will depend on their adaptability. »
PHOTO SANDRA ANGERS BLONDIN, PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
A musk ox sunbathes against the backdrop of warming permafrost.
And although neither moose nor beavers live on the island, these animals have been spotted on the northern slope of the Yukon, in the arctic zone of the northwest coast and in northern Alaska. Climate change and shrub proliferation therefore appear to be attracting these species to the north, with possible environmental impacts.
“Beaver ponds release more methane than intact tundra, so the increasing presence of beavers in tundra ecosystems will likely lead to an increase in methane emissions,” concludes Ms. Myers-Smith, citing a study published last summer.