Poles Apart: A Study in Contrasts

254 Pages·1999·14.34 MB·English

by  Antoni G. Lewkowicz

POLES
APART
A Study in Contrasts
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POLES
APART
A Study in Contrasts
Proceedings of an
International Symposium
on Arctic and Antarctic Issues
University of Ottawa, Canada
September 25-27,1997
Edited by
Antoni G. Lewkowicz
ACTEXPRESS
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA PRESS
University of Ottawa Press gratefully acknowledges the support extended to its
publishing programme by the Canada Council and the University of Ottawa.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the
Book Publishing Industry Development Program for this project.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
International Symposium on Arctic and Antarctic Issues
(1997: University of Ottawa)
Poles apart: a study in contrasts; proceedings of an International Symposium
on Arctic and Antarctic Issues, University of Ottawa, Canada, September 25-27,
1997.
(Actexpress)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-7766-0497-X
1. Polar regions-Congresses. I. Lewkowicz, Antoni G, 1955- II. Title. III. Series.
G578.I58 1999 909'.091 C99-900881-1
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
UNIVERSITE D'OTTAWA
Cover illustration: Jean Hay, Black Slump, oil and encaustic,
38 x 55 in., author's collection.
Cover design: Robert Dolbec
"Books in the ACTEXPRESS series are published without the University of Ottawa
Press's usual editorial intervention. The editorial process for and copy editing
of Poles Apart: A Study in Contrasts have been ensured by the editors and their
contributors."
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transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
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ISBN 0-7766-0497-X
© University of Ottawa Press, 1999
542 King Edward, Ottawa, Ont, Canada K1N 6N5
[email protected]
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Printed and bound in Canada
CONTENTS
List of Figures / viii
List of Tables/ix
Acknowledgements / x
Foreword / xi
Introduction
MARY MAY SIMON
1. The Arctic and the Antarctic: Heritage of Humanity / 3
Theme 1:
Geography of Polar Regions
HUGH M. FRENCH
2. The Arctic: An Ocean Surrounded by Land /11
DAVID SUGDEN
3. Antarctica: Evolution of a Polar Continent / 31
E. FRED ROOTS
4. Commentary: The Ends of the Earth—
Differences and Similarities / 47
PETER DORAN, PETER ADAMS and MILES ECCLESTONE
5. Arctic and Antarctic Lakes: Contrast or Continuum?
(Poster Presentation) / 59
Theme 2:
Glaciology: a Chapter of Earth's History in Ice
ROY M. KOERNER
6. Climate and the Ice Core Record: Arctic Examples / 71
ROLAND SOUCHEZ
7. Antarctic Glaciology / 89
PETER G. JOHNSON
8. Commentary: Glaciology / 99
V
Theme 3:
Polar Ecology and Resources
B. THERESA ANISKOWICZ-FOWLER
9. Terrestrial Arctic Fauna / 105
RANDALL R. REEVES
10. Exploitation of Marine Mammals in the Arctic / 117
MARIA TERESA INFANTE
11. Antarctic Marine Environment and Resources:
A Legal Perspective / 131
GRAHAM K. BARRELL
12. Antarctic Seals Provide New Insights to Biological Science /143
ESTHER LEVESQUE
13. Commentary: Life at the Poles—Simple or Complex? /151
Theme 4:
Aspects of Governance in Polar Regions
BRADFORD W. MORSE
14. Governance in the Canadian Arctic / 159
OSCAR PINOCHET DE LA BARRA
15. Some Aspects of the Government of Antarctica / 177
MIRYAM COLACRAI DE TREVISAN
16. International Regimes for Polar Regions
(Poster Presentation) /183
Theme 5:
Protection of the Terrestrial Environment
MICHAEL ROBINSON
17. Protection of the Terrestrial Environment in the Arctic: State,
Corporatist and Civil Society Approaches to Stewardship / 193
ROBERT RUTFORD
18. Protection of the Antarctic Terrestrial Environment / 203
VI
KEVIN HALL
19. Commentary: Protection of the Terrestrial Environment/ 213
Theme 6:
History of Exploration
NORMAN HALLENDY
20. Silent Messengers / 219
WILLIAM BARR
21. Discovery and Rediscovery in the Arctic / 223
BONNIHRYCYK
22. Commentary: History of Exploration / 231
Contributors / 235
vu
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 Map of the circumpolar Arctic showing the limits of the
High and Low Arctic and the extent of permanent pack ice / 12
Figure 2.2 Typical arctic terrain / 17
Figure 2.3 Map showing possible changes in permafrost distribution
and the location of the treeline in northern Canada conse-
quent upon a 2x increase in CO in the atmosphere / 22
2
Figure 2.4 Examples of arctic construction and economic activity / 24
Figure 3.1 Antarctica 50 million years ago / 32
Figure 3.2 The topography of Antarctica / 34
Figure 3.3 Selected climatic variables for Antarctica / 35
Figure 3.4 Oceans surrounding Antarctica / 38
Figure 3.5 Cross section of ocean circulation around Antarctica / 39
Figure 3.6 Political claims in Antarctica / 43
Figure 3.7 Distribution of bases operating in Antarctica during the
winter of 1997/44
Figure 5.1 Residual ice and ice-free summers for Colour Lake / 62
Figure 5.2 Sub-ice temperature profiles for Colour Lake / 62
Figure 5.3 Rapid heating of the sub-ice water column following
removal of snow, Colour Lake 1987 / 63
Figure 5.4 Sub-ice water column profiles from perennially ice-covered
Lake Miers, McMurdo Dry Valleys / 66
Figure 6.1 Map showing ice core locations referred to in the text / 73
Figure 6.2 δ18O and melt layer records from Greenland, the Russian
Arctic, Svalbard, and the Canadian Arctic / 74
Figure 6.3 δ18O ice core records from Greenland, Antarctica, and
Canada / 79
Figure 6.4 Stacked Holocene melt layer records from Agassiz,
Akademii Nauk and Austfonna ice caps and δ18O records
from Greenland, Agassiz and Akademii ice caps / 82
Figure 7.1 Comparison, over the last 50,000 years, of the climatic
records from Vostok (δD content) and GRIP (δ18O content)
/90
Figure 7.2 CO, CH and isotopic temperature in the Vostok ice core
2 4
during the last 220,000 years / 92
Figure 7.3 Ice pump mechanism and marine ice formation at the base
of a small ice shelf in Terra Nova Bay / 95
via
LIST OF TABLES
Table2.1 Mass budget of the Arctic Ocean / 14
Table2.2 Freshwater budget of the Arctic Ocean / 15
Table2.3 Extent of terrestrial areas of perennial ice, permafrost and
seasonal land ice/snow / 19
Table 2.4 General characteristics of high and low arctic environments
111
Table3.1 Stations of SCAR Nations operating in the Antarctic, Winter
1997 / 42
Table 10.1 Marine mammal species that inhabit the Arctic / 120
Table 12.1 Pesticide residues in milk of Weddell seals at McMurdo
Sound, Antarctica / 149
Table 14.1 Legislative spheres of jurisdiction set out in the Vuntut
Gwitchin First Nation Self-Government Agreement / 169
IX