This research project addresses needs identified by First Nation communities across BC to develop a framework to gather data regarding the state of salmon habitat in their territories in a way that is community led and driven. The project will conduct experiments leading to the development of a methodological framework and training materials focussed on the collection and analysis of UAV based thermal, lidar, and photogrammetric data to enhance community capacity to conduct long term salmon habitat monitoring.
The Western Interior Seaway covered much of North America in the Cretaceous period and hosted a diversity of now extinct animal life. This PhD research project will focus on collecting data that will help understand where and how animals lived in the Seaway, and where and how their fossils were preserved. The first step will be to produce the first detailed geological map of the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre’s (the partner) property in Morden, Manitoba, with the detailed stratigraphic positioning of all previous and new fossil sites.
This project will expand the utility of the Tourism Impact Portal (TIP), a data-driven decision support platform, by integrating stakeholder feedback obtained from a mix of interviews and workshops. This process will enhance the foundation of the system as well as fill in data/knowledge gaps. It will also allow for the development of a blueprint for scaling the program to other regions in the province.
Wildfires are naturally occurring phenomena that are necessary for the health of boreal forests. However, fires can cause infrastructural damage and loss of life if they spread into places where people, towns, and other assets are at risk. Due to the impact of wildfires on society, attempts have been undertaken to assess wildfire potential, spread, and magnitude, as well as to anticipate their behavior after ignition. Predicting wildfire risk is essential when making forest management decisions and selecting the most effective wildland fire response tactics to mitigate their negative effects.
The aim of the research is to conduct two studies. The first component is to conduct a robust literature review on methods to estimate above and below carbon in temperate (green carbon), and mangrove ecosystems (blue carbon). This component of the proposed research will be aimed to identify a package of monitoring tools that can be utilized and scaled to develop carbon credit models.
Epithermal-type deposits are small, high-grade gold and/or silver ± base metal deposits that formed shallowly in the upper crust and are frequently associated with hydrothermal fluids related to deeper emplaced, large tonnage, low-grade precious metal ± base metal porphyry deposits. Bringing the deeper emplaced deposits to surface requires processes such as erosion of overlying rocks. Consequently, epithermal systems that formed at approximately the same time as porphyry systems are often eroded.
To support blue hydrogen economy processes that generate CO2 as a by-product, and greenhouse gas (GHG) sequestration studies in general, the injection and storage of CO2 into deep (~1500m), un-minable coal seams hosted in the Mannville Formation of Alberta will be studied. Using the successful proof-of-concept field injection pilot results from the first phase of research, application of horizontal wells to ‘scale up’ CO2 injection to commercial levels will be explored herein.
Earth elevation data is an important tool that helps scientists predict how rivers will respond to large floods and increased inputs of rocks and sand. Recent technological advances in elevation data collection are very effective for dry land, but much less effective for the wetted parts of the river. This causes gaps in the elevation data, which researchers generally fill by either 1) collecting underwater elevations or 2) using math equations to predict elevations.
The Chilako river is a 6th order river located approximately 15km west of Prince George, British Columbia. It serves as a main tributary to the Nechako River and is identified as a key spawning habitat for salmon in central British Columbia. However, disturbances such as agriculture, forest harvesting, forest fires and the Mountain Pine beetle have dramatically changed the ecosystems in the area. Landowners and residents have observed changesand expressed concern about flooding, deforestation, and stream bank erosion.
Carbon Capture and Storage is projected to play a key role in achieving the federal government’s target of reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050. CMC Research Institutes, in partnership with the University of Calgary, has established the Containment and Monitoring Institute Field Research Station (FRS), a state-of-the-art testbed facility to develop, test and validate monitoring technologies, and to accelerate innovation and commercialization of geological carbon storage domestically and internationally.
