THE Arctic has been described as the “canary in the mine” by a researcher who will be speaking in the region this month.
Matthew Ayre, who works at the Arctic Institution of North America, based at the University of Calgary in Canada, will be sharing some of his work on the British whaling trade and its connection with the current Arctic climate.
The 31-year-old, from North Tyneside, who did his PhD at the University of Sunderland, is returning to the city for the talk on Thursday, March 21.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to returning to Sunderland to discuss climate change which is the largest challenge facing humanity, and the Arctic is the canary in the mine.
“For nearly 40 years we have witnessed a near continual and increasing downward trend in the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice.
Scottish whaling ship Nova Zembla, which was found thanks to Matthew Ayre's research
“Changes in the Arctic affect the rest of the world. To forecast the future of this rapidly changing Arctic it is necessary to put these observations into a longer-term context.
“Proxy records can help extend the sea ice record back millennia but do not have the resolution to capture change on the timescales witnessed today.”
Dr Ayre’s research into the secrets of early 19th century ice fronts around the Arctic, has led him to the discovery of the wreckage of Scottish whaling ship Nova Zembla, in the Canadian High Arctic using historical documents and newspaper clippings connected to the 19th century whaling trade.
Dr Matthew Ayre, who did his PhD in Sunderland, is returning to the city to give a talk
His PhD research at Sunderland was part of the ARCdoc project, which analysed historical logbooks recorded by explorers, whalers and merchants during epic expeditions between 1750 and 1850.
The project was created to increase our scientific understanding of climate change in this environmentally important region. The logbooks include famous voyages such as Parry’s polar expedition in HMS Hecla.
Some of the most significant data to emerge from the project has come from painstaking analysis of 60 logbooks belonging to whaling vessels, which contain descriptions of sea ice advancing and retreating every summer, all of which were recorded by whalers who ventured further north than anyone else.
The talk at the National Glass Centre is free but places are limited and must be booked via the website EventBrite.
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