Canada's last Arctic epishelf lake drained permanently after 2020 ice shelf collapse
A new study confirms the Milne Fiord lake vanished within months of the ice shelf breakup and shows no sign of recovery.
What to know
- Canada's last epishelf lake permanently drained into the Arctic Ocean after the Milne Ice Shelf broke apart in July 2020, losing 45% of its area.
- The freshwater layer that had supported a unique ecosystem for millennia escaped within months and shows no sign of recovery more than four years later.
- The lake's loss demonstrates that even the Arctic's projected last ice refuge is vulnerable to rapid climate-driven change, with researchers anticipating further profound changes in the High Arctic.
Dr. Jérémie Bonneau Study author, professor of civil and water engineeringDr. Bernard Laval Co-author, UBC professor of civil engineeringDr. Andrew Hamilton Co-author, research scientist at University of AlbertaDr. Derek Mueller Co-author, Carleton University professor, research program leadAusuittuq (Grise Fiord) research team Local co-authors and fieldwork participants
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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Study confirms permanent loss of epishelf lake ecosystem
A multi-university research team published findings in Scientific Reports showing the lake's permanent drainage and transformation from freshwater to marine environment. Annual monitoring since 2022 has found no sign of recovery, and researchers conclude the ecosystem will not return once the ice shelf is gone.
“Once the ice is gone, the ecosystem goes with it. There's no coming back.”
— Dr. Bernard Laval -
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Canada’s last epishelf lake had endured for thousands of years. It disappeared in just months after the Milne Ice Shelf broke apart. Another unique ecosystem lost as our climate changes.
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This was the last lake of its kind in #Canada. Now it's gone. In a polar epishelf lake, freshwater floats on seawater, creating a unique ecosystem
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background
Field measurements confirm complete transformation to marine environment — First field measurements after the breakup showed that by July 2022, brackish water had fully replaced the lake's distinct freshwater layer. The unique freshwater ecosystem sitting above a marine one ceased to exist.
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background
Milne Ice Shelf breaks apart, loses 45% of its area — The Milne Ice Shelf on northern Ellesmere Island fractured, removing the barrier that had held the epishelf lake's freshwater in place. The ice shelf and lake had been thinning for decades, but the breakup was the final trigger.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by miragenews.com, 13d ago · also Education News Canada, University of Alberta, IFLScience, UBC Applied Science
6 more headlines
- University of British Columbia - Study confirms permanent loss of Canada's last Arctic epishelf lake Education News Canada · 13d ago
- Canada’s last ‘epishelf’ lake drained in months, forever destroying a unique Arctic ecosystem University of Alberta · 9d ago
- The Very Last Epishelf Lake In The Canadian Arctic Has Vanished IFLScience · 9d ago
- Study confirms Canada's last epishelf lake is gone for good eurekalert.org · 9d ago
- Study confirms permanent loss of Canada’s last Arctic epishelf lake UBC Applied Science · 9d ago
- Canada's last epishelf lake is gone for good, study confirms Phys.org · 9d ago