Canada’s last epishelf lake drained into the Arctic Ocean following the 2020 breakup of the Milne Ice Shelf and will not recover, a new study confirms.
Canada’s last epishelf lake drained into the Arctic Ocean following the 2020 breakup of the Milne Ice Shelf and will not recover, a new study confirms.
Epishelf lakes form when an ice shelf acts as a dam, trapping a layer of freshwater floating above seawater connected to the ocean. The Milne Fiord epishelf lake, located on northern Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, supported freshwater microorganisms near the surface and marine species below.
In July 2020, the Milne Ice Shelf broke apart, losing 45 per cent of its area and removing the barrier that held the freshwater in place.
Read More: University of British Columbia
A former channel beneath the Milne Ice Shelf, exposed after the ice broke apart. The channel carried freshwater from the epishelf lake to the Arctic Ocean. (Photo Credit: Cameron Fitzpatrick)
