McGill Arctic Research Station

McGill Arctic Research Station (Expedition Fiord) (MARS) is a small research station operated by McGill University located near the centre of Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut. It is located approximately southwest of Eureka, a weather and research station. It was first established in 1959 after scientists explored South Fiord (Expedition Fiord). The station contains a small hut, a cook house and two temporary structures. It can support 8-12 people and gives them access to the research activities. The current activities are glaciology, climate change, permafrost, hydrology, geology, geomorphology, limnology, planetary analogues, and microbiology.McGill Arctic Research Station|McGill Arctic Research Station (M.A.R.S.). Dale T. Anderson, Centre for the study of life in the universe. Retrieved April 11, 2015 Today, the station is only used in the summer months so there would be enough power generated from the solar panels.

The director of the research station is Wayne Pollard (from McGill University). He has many experiences with drilling and geophysical tools. His goals are to identify niche environments in permafrost capable of harbouring microbial life at or near the limit of its habitability.

Geography McGill Arctic Research Station is located near the terminus of three glaciers: Baby Glacier, White Glacier and Thompson Glacier. It is also beside the Expedition River and Colour Lake. The glaciers have been monitored from 1960 to 1999 with gaps in between them. The closest community is Grise Fiord, away. However, all flights to and from the station all go through Resolute Bay Airport, which is more than away.McGill Arctic Research Station at the Canadian Network of Northern Research Operators The area surrounding it are rolling hills and tall mountains.

Climate The average temperature at the research station is . Because of the cold temperatures, they can test how microbes can survive on the other colder planets in the Solar System.Scientists detect cold-loving microbe in Nunavut’s High Arctic at Nunatsiaq Online. Retrieved April 12, 2015 The station receives polar night from the about October 22 until just after the middle of February, and the midnight sun from the middle of April until August 27.

McGill Arctic Research Station

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