The glaciology programme within GSC is heavily connected to the study of global change and the problems that stem from it.

Three millennium long paleo- temperature records from the Agassiz ice core based on oxygen isotopes and summer melt layer percents. The most recent century can be seen as uniquely warm in the context of the last 2500 years. larger image [GIF, 31.9 kb, 496 X 401, notice] The summer melt from the Devon Ice Cap measured over the last 35 years does not show any trend. larger image [GIF, 18.0 kb, 496 X 350, notice] Ice coring drill Ice cores

The modern global change concept is commonly regarded as risk analysis, especially in the insurance industry and other cultural/financial groups that must pay for bad planning. One of the necessary elements of assessing any change is to place it in context, both in terms of size and possible cause. To this end the glaciologists of TSD undertake the following:

1. Monitor the changes in the amount of Arctic snow fall and melt, and changes in the impurity (like acids and metals) flux in the snow.

2. Place the recent changes in the context of natural changes back in time through the analysis of ice cores at the following resolutions: seasonal or annual over the last millennium; decadal over the last 12000 years; and century-long over the last glacial cycle.

The glaciologists of GSC have maintained the longest and most accurate monitoring programme in mass balance of Arctic ice caps and are acknowledged innovators and leaders in the analysis and interpretation of ice cores. They originated and lead ICAPP (Ice Core Arctic Paleoclimate Programme), which is part of PAGES/IGBP (Past Global Changes/International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme). The goals of ICAPP are to integrate paleoclimate time series over all ice core sites in the Northern Hemisphere and link them to modern patterns of temperature, accumulation and impurity content in precipitation, as well as to other long paleo-records from tree rings and lake varves etc. The Canadian and ICAPP ice core data sets are archived in Ottawa and also at WDC-A (World Data Centre C).

The glaciologists of GSC have produced in concert with the Instrument Development Workshop a highly successful ice coring drill whose design has been licensed to Icefield Istruments Inc for further commercial production, http://www.icefield.yk.ca.