ENVIRONMENT / CLIMATOLOGY MONITORING TELEMETRY NETWORK :

The Environment / Climatology Monitoring Telemetry Network in Northern Quebec - Nunavik and Canadian Arctic - Nunavut of the Centre d’Etudes Nordiques, Laval University, Quebec, Canada, was built to meet the specific needs of different research projects relate to the dynamics of the geomorphologic and ecological processes, as well as to natural habitats, which is closely dependent on the specific climatic conditions of the North. Stations are adapted to fulfill specific research needs, such as measurements of geomorphic or thermophysic processes, adapted to the application of climatological data to the study of dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems with particular emphasis on the ground thermal regime, active layer and permafrost processes, and the relationships between permafrost and climate.

Measurement equipment and data sets are used on a variety of topics as broad as the relationship between climate and northern ecosystems, the study of limiting factors of regeneration at disturbed sites and the analysis of frozen ground thermal behavior in response to short and long term climatic variations. All this requires ground and atmospheric measurements. The stations are designed to measure a wide variety of parameters, such as air and soil temperature and humidity, at different heights or depths, solar radiation intensity, UV emission, snow cover thickness, wind speed and orientation, etc. Moreover, ground temperatures are regularly measured up to 20-m depth. Long-term observation of ground thermal profiles can serve as a tool for detecting environmental changes. Thermal variations of short duration, either daily fluctuations or those of several days caused by the passage of atmospheric systems, and seasonal variations get harmonized under the surface. Below several meters, the signal is seasonal and short oscillations are filtered out. By measuring thermal variations regularly, one can follow climatic changes occurring at shallow depths and interpret them in relation to changes on the surface.

The present network represents an original example of a vast environmental monitoring system in climatology and geocryology (only one smaller equivalent in the Mackenzie River pipeline valley). The network comprises up to seventy observation sites distributed in the Hudson, Ungava, and James Bay regions, on the Lower Saint-Lawrence River North Shore, on Bylot Island, as well as in the vicinity of Quebec City. A half of the network functions automatically, while the others have to be serviced manually. Up to twenty stations are connected to the central computer at the CEN at Laval University in Quebec City by radio and telephone.

References^*):

*) only for "monitoring network and climate"; full listing on demand

Bégin, Y., Sirois, L., Cournoyer, L. and Frydecki, J., 1999. Analyse dendroécologique des effets climatiques du réservoir Robert-Bourassa sur l’environnement forestier, Quebec nordique. Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, 125 pp. + 3 annexes.

Frydecki, J., 1998. Récentes variations et tendances climatiques au Quebec nordique. In: Programme général, 66^e Congrès de l’Acfas - La place du Quebec dans la science, Université Laval, Quebec, p.62.

Frydecki, J., 1998. Laboratoire et réseau de télémétrie environnementale du Centre d’Études Nordiques de l’Université Laval. In: Recuieil des résumés - Carrefour des Sciences de la Terre., Congrès Quebec 1998 des AGC/GAC, AMC/MAC, APGGQ and AQQUA, Centre des congrès de Quebec, p.A-59-60.

Frydecki, J., 1997. Siec monitoringu klimatologicznego N-E Kanady; Osrodka Badan Nordyckich (CEN) Uniwersytetu Laval w Quebec’u. Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.

Frydecki, J., 1997. Recherches climatologiques du Centre d’Études Nordiques de l’Université Laval; réseau de télémétrie environnementale. In: Recuieil des résumés - 10^e colloque international de climatologie, Centre Éconature Duchesnay, p.22.

Frydecki, J. and Dionne, J.-C., 1997. Pergélisol de la Basse-Côte-Nord, le cas de Blanc-Sablon. In: Programme and Actes du congrès, 10e Congrès annuel de l'APGGQ/AQQUA, Rimouski, Quebec, p.71.

Bégin, Y., Sirois, L., Cournoyer, L. and Frydecki, J., 1997. Évaluation des effets climatiques locaux sur l’environnement forestier au réservoir Robert-Bourassa (LG2). Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Direction principale Communication et Environnement, Hydro-Quebec, 157 pp.

Bégin, Y. and Frydecki, J., 1997. Le réseau de stations de télémétrie environnementale aux réservoirs Robert-Bourassa et Laforge 1, dans le complexe hydroélectrique LaGrande. Centre d'études Nordiques Sainte-Foy, Université Laval, Hydro-Quebec, 32 pp.

Bégin, Y. and Frydecki, J., 1997. Utilisation projetée des stations climatologiques aux réservoirs Robert-Bourassa et Laforge 1, Baie James, Quebec. Centre d'études Nordiques Sainte-Foy, 19 pp.

Frydecki, J., Allard, M. and Michaud, Y., 1995. Field monitoring of physical changes in frozen ground, Northeasthern Canada. In: Frozen Ground Workshop: our current understanding of processes and ability to detect change. International Permafrost Association, Hanover, New Hampshire, p. 9.

Frydecki, J., Allard, M. and Fortier, R., 1995. Le système d'observations géothermiques du centre d'études Nordiques de l'Université Laval. In: Communications du colloque sur les sols gelées: processus thermophysiques et géomorphologiques, géomorphologie et transferts de surface, 15-17 May 1995, Caen, France, p. 13-16.

Frydecki, J., Allard, M. and Fortier, R., 1995, Le programme d'observations climatologiques du Centre d'études Nordiques de l'Université Laval. The 25th Arctic Workshop, p.51-54. Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada, March 16-18, 1995.

Wang, B., Allard, M. and Frydecki, J., 1995. Periglacial climate and its significance for geomorphic process in the Kangiqsualujjuaq Area, Northern Quebec, Canada. In: Résumés des communications du colloque sur les sols gelées: processus thermophysiques et géomorphologiques, Géomorphologie et transferts de surface, 15-17 May 1995, Caen, France, p. 38

Bégin, Y. and Frydecki, J., 1995. Mise en opération d'une station météorologique au réservoir Laforge, Baie James, Quebec. Centre d'études Nordiques Sainte-Foy, 78 pp.

Frydecki, J., Allard, M., Dionne, J.C., Gauthier, G., Houle, G., Michaud, Y. and Vincent, W., 1994, Le réseau de stations d’observations climatologiques du Centre d’études Nordiques de l’Université Laval. In: Colloque annuel du Centre d'études Nordiques, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, p. 13.

Pilon, J.A., Pilkington, M., Allard, M. and Frydecki, J., 1994, Use of ground penetrating radar to study the interaction between permafrost and airport infrastructure on Baffin Island, NWT, GPR ‘94 - Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, Vol. 2. p. 519-530, Kitchener, Ontario, June 1994

Allard, M., Pilon, J.A. and Frydecki, J. 1994, Le pergélisol et les aéroports du Quebec nordique. Rapport final au Ministère des Transports du Quebec, 72 p.

Seguin, M.K. and Frydecki, J., 1994, Semi-quantitative geophysical investigation of permafrost in northern Quebec. Journal of Applied Geophysics 32, p.73-84.

Frydecki, J., 1993, Climate Change: Science, Impacts and Policy (critic). Geophysics, vol. 58, # 2, p.309-311, Tulsa, Okla.

Allard, M., Pilon, J.A., Frydecki, J., Tremblay, C. and Kasper, J., 1993, Response of permafrost to recent climatic variations in northern Quebec. Invited presentation, 3rd International Geomorphology Conference, Hamilton, Ontario, August 1993. p. 91.

Allard, M., Tremblay, C., Pilon, J.A. and Frydecki, J., 1993, Quaternary geology and geocryology in Nunavik, Canada. Proceedings 6th International Conference on Permafrost, Beijing, July 5-9, 1993, p. 5-10.

Frydecki, J. and Dionne, J.C., 1992, Le point sur les palses de Blanc-Sablon. Colloque annuel du Centre d'études Nordiques, December 1992, p.5-6.

Allard, M., Bégin, Y., Roche, Y. and Frydecki, J., 1992, Évolution géomorphologique et variations du régime thermique dans un plateau de pergélisol côtier: détroit de Manitounuk, Quebec nordique. 7e Congrès quadriennal de l’AQQUA, Rouyn-Noranda, September 1992

Frydecki, J. and Payette, S., 1991, Régime thermique d'une forêt et d'une lichénaie à la limite des arbres (rivière Boniface). Colloque annuel du Centre d'études Nordiques, 1991.

Seguin, M.K. and Frydecki, J., 1990, Approach to gravity estimation of the volume ice fraction in discontinuous permafrost. Geoexploration, 26, p.233-251, Elsevier Science Publisher B.V. Amsterdam.

Seguin, M.K. and Frydecki, J., 1990, Geophysical detection and possible estimation of ice content in permafrost in northern Quebec. Geophysics: The Leading Edge of Exploration, Vol. 9, No. 10, p.25-29.