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9TuesdayMay142013ApaneldiscussionondevolutionincludingguestspeakerswilloccuronTuesdayMay21700p.m.atYellowknifesNorthernUnitedPlaceDEMOCRATICDEVOLUTIONJoinusforadiscussionofthedevolutionofpowersfromtheGovernmentofCanadatotheGovernmentoftheNWT.SponsoredbyAlternativesNorthFormoreinformationgotowww.alternativesnorth.caThebachaBusinessDevelopmentServicesBusinessLearningSessions24hourspriortoyourselectedsessionMay1930am1100amMay1100pm400pmMay2100pm200pmMay8930am1130amMay8100pm300pmMay9100pm300pmMay14930am1130amMay15930am1130amMay16130pm330pmMay22930am1200pmMay23630pm800pmMay28930am1130amMay29130pm400pmMay30130pm300pmThePowerofEmailSocialMediaMarketingMarketing101BankingBasicsfortheNewBusinessCommunicateforSuccessHowDoYouKnowYoureMakingAnyMoneyHowtoIncreaseClientReferralsandSalesAccountingandTaxforSmallBusinessCreatingandSustainingMoreRavingFansPromotionsCreatingBuzzforYourBizSmallBusinessBookkeepingandPayrollAdvertisingDosandDontsCreatingEngagingOnlineContentLow-CostStrategiesforPowerhouseProfitsBuildingYourBusinessonCustomerReferralsPermafrostthawchangingchemistryofPeelRiverAncientsedimentsdepositedforthersttimeaffectingstreamsEnvironmentWatershedsByMEAGANWOHLBERGPermafrostdegradationinthePeelPlateauishavingfar-reachingeffectsonthechemistryofwaterdown-streamastheriversystembecomesexposedtoancientsedimentsdepositedforthersttimeinhighconcentra-tionsviameltingice.AnewstudybytheNWTsforemostexpertonperma-frostStevenKokeljwhoworksoutoftheNWTGeo-scienceOfceshowsaverynoticeableincreaseinthepresenceofcertainionsoverthelastfortyyearsastheareabecomesmoreandmoreaf-fectedbypermafrostthaw.InhisstudyKokeljstatesthatwarmingtemperaturesresultingfromclimatechangearecausingicethathasbeenpreservedwithinpermafrostformillionsofyearstorap-idlymeltasitisexposedbyerosion.Theresulthasbeenmas-sivelandscapedisturbanceacrosstheregionknownasslumpingwhichseesgiantgraduallandslide-typeforma-tionsbuildupovertimeandmoveintotheriversystemllingthewaterwithionsthatthoughnaturallyoc-curringareinmuchhigherconcentrationsthanisnor-malforthewaterbecausethesedimentshaveneverbeenleachedoftheirionsbefore.Whatwereabletodoislookatwaterthatrunsfromtheseslumpsandcompareittojustnormalsurfacewaterandtheconcentrationscanbeten100timesgreaterandinsomecaseseven1000timesgreaterKokeljsaid.Chemicallyspeakingtheresultsarebeingfeltfur-therdownstreaminthePeelRiver.Despiteitssizeadef-initeincreaseinthemostpopularpermafrost-relatedionssuchassulphateandcalciumhasbeenrecordedintheriveroverthelast40yearsthankstoEnvironmentCanadawaterqualitymoni-toringdata.Wecanlookatsulphate-whichissortofthemainioninthePeelRiver-andtheamountsofsulphatehaveal-mosttripledovertheperiodofrecord.SotoseeanincreaselikethatinasystemthatsasbigasthePeelitreallykindofhighlightsthefactthatthechangeisactuallyquitesub-stantialonalandscapescaleKokeljsaid.Whilesulphatesonlystarttonegativelyimpactdrinkingwaterinthethousandsofmil-ligramsperlitrerange-inthePeelconcentrationsarestillbelow100mglitre-Kokeljsaidthedataisnoteworthy.Thefactthattheyvein-creasedthatmuchinariverthathaswatercomingfrom-Ithinkitdrainslike70000square-kilometres-isprettysignicant.Slumpingisalsoaffect-ingstreamsonalocalscalesometimesbyblockingthemorforminglakesupstream.Normallyafteraheavyrainallthecreeksgetturbidandfullofsedimentandasthewatergoesdowntheyclearup...butbecausetheseslumpstendtomeltmorewhenitshotanddrynor-mallyasthestreamswouldclearupthatswhenthesebigslumpsarethawingmoresothestreamsneverreallyclearupKokeljexplained.Asthewatergoesdowninthesummerwhenitshotanddrythesestreamsthatareimpactedareactuallyevenmuddier.Kokeljsdataisbeingusedtoprovidecontexttootherstudiesontheimpactsofper-mafrostmeltintheLowerPeelBasin.ResearchersfromWilfridLaurierUniversityarestudyinghowsedimentlevelsareaffectingthephysiologyofnorthernshspecieswhilesci-entistsfromtheUniversityofNewBrunswickandtheCu-mulativeImpactsMonitoringProgramarelookingatbenthiccommunities-theorganismsthatliveatthebottomoftheriver-nearpermafrostslumps.ThoughresultshaveyettobereleasedfromeitherstudyKokeljsaidpreliminaryresultsonthebenthicsresearchshowitshavinganimpact.Thereshugedifferencesintheabundanceofbenthicsinassociationwithdisturbance.Oncethesedisturbancesoccurtheabundanceofbenthicsde-creasessubstantiallyhesaid.KokeljisnowworkingonestablishinganinventoryofpermafrostintheNorth-westTerritoriesinordertotrackthesedisturbancesonabroaderlevel.Thissummerheandateamwillbemap-pingtheentireNWTusingaerialphotographs.Hesaidthemapswillhelpscientistsdeciphertheextentofpermafrostdisturbanceandwhattypesofecosystems-coastalstreamsrivers-maybegettingimpacted.PhotoNWTGeoscienceOfceAnaerialphotoshowsamassive1-kmwidepermafrostslumponthePeelRiversystem.