Development of carbon storage technology for peatlands using microbial decomposition mechanisms

The goal of this study is to identify mechanisms of microbial decomposition activity over the restoration periods of peatlands, which play an important role in carbon storage, thereby contributing to improvement of development of ‘carbon neutral technologies’ and incomplete ‘global carbon budget’. Real-time qPCR will be used to quantify the abundance of 16S rRNA (Bacteria), […]

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Developing Low-Cost Sensors for Rapid Field Estimation of Soil Properties

There is an increasing demand for high resolution soil information to support precision agriculture. One of the tools that has been a focus of research to help meet this demand is the development of proximal soil sensing using reflectance spectroscopy. The advantage reflectance spectroscopy is that it is rapid, non-destructive, and can test for multiple […]

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Identification of key monitoring activities for the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations Stewardship Program

Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations (KCFN) identified a need to monitor ecological and cultural valued components as well as human activities on Treaty Lands and hahuulth (land and water), and are in the early stages of creating a Stewardship Program that is intended to meet this need. This project aims to support the stewardship program development by […]

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Evaluation of lignin-based amendments for hydrocarbon remediation applications

Leaky fuel tanks and spills from fuel storage and retail locations have resulted in over 30,000 hydrocarbon contaminated brownfield sites across Canada. The objective of this project is to develop an injectable solution that will encourage local bacteria in the subsurface to degrade oil, diesel, and gasoline hydrocarbons on brownfield sites. Lignin, a by-product from […]

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Development of deep neural networks for analyzing the prospectivity of Nova Scotia offshore basins

Unlocking the energy potential of offshore basins is key to fully evaluate Canada’s ability to satisfy its future energy demand while respecting UN Sustainable Development Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy. In frontier basins, including offshore Nova Scotia, deep-water exploration entails various risks due to uncertain geological settings, thus requiring comprehensive prospect analyses and risk […]

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Responsible roadmap: Informing road disturbance development decision-making in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region through process-based knowledge.

In the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) of Alberta, boreal peatland ecosystems are becoming increasingly fractionated by linear disturbances associated with resource exploration and subsequent extraction. Roads, for example, have the potential to alter peatlands through changes to flow regimes, runoff generation to downstream aquatic systems, and carbon sequestration. The heterogeneous geology in the AOSR […]

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Predictive depth-to-bedrock mapping to assess groundwater vulnerability at the catchment scale on the Canadian Shield

Most rural municipalities on the Canadian Shield rely on underground aquifers as their primary source of drinking water. Groundwater is prone to many anthropogenic and natural sources of contamination. The objective of the research project is to develop an innovative technique to predict and map the depth of the bedrock surface across large scales using […]

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Stress State and Probabilistic Assessment of Slip Potential during Geothermal Energy Development, Grande Prairie, AB

The state of stress in depth is an important parameter for subsurface project. One of the applications of knowing the stress state is understanding induced earthquake pattern arising from geothermal energy extraction. Fault slip due to fluid injection (for energy extraction) into underground deep geological layers constitutes an environmental and potential risk issue if induced […]

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Optimizing logistics of logging debris supply for bioenergy production

Logging operations in British Columbia produce an estimated 15.5 megatonnes per year (MT/yr) (oven dry basis) of forest residues. Traditionally this logging slash has been piled and burnt on site. Due to the rising concerns around climate change and increasing demand for energy, these harvest residuals are becoming a desirable fuel source for sustainable bioenergy […]

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