Maps

The written word has long helped us understand science and the natural world around us. In fact, Natural Resources Canada is home to the first ever science library in Canada, dating back to 1854.

The Arctic Ocean is a vast, cold, isolated and utterly fascinating part of the northern hemisphere. Beneath its surface, thousands of metres below, is an extension of our country known as the continental shelf. And now, based on massive amounts of geoscientific data measuring the seafloor, an additional 1.2 million square kilometres could be added to Canada’s land area of 9.98 million km².

During a geological mapping expedition to the western Canadian Arctic in 2014, research scientist Rob Rainbird collected samples that yielded microfossils of a species of fungus that is about one billion years old. Rob joins us to share his experience in the field, as well as discuss his discovery.

For weeks, Simon Tolszczuk-Leclerc and the Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS) team have been following the spring thaw and river ice breakup. They know exactly what to do, and they’re ready to take immediate action.