100 Places To Remember: Pauline Cove Herschel Island, Canada
Geschreven op 26-4-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
A Settlement at the Edge of the Sea. Herschel Island is just off the mainland near the Alaskan border in the far north-west of Canada. Traces of very early human settlement are still to be found in this Arctic wilderness. The indigenous people of the area, the Inuvialuit, have used the small island for thousands of years, and many of their old dwellings are still visible.
The remains of the first whaling station in the area, dating from the 1800s, are found at Pauline Cove, on the east of the island alongside its graveyard.
From November to July, when Herschel Island is locked in ice, the distinction between island and mainland is blurred and the old whaling station and its graveyard are covered in ice and snow.
Average temperatures are about -27°C in winter and 6-7°C in summer, but they can fall as low as -50°C in winter and rise as high as 30°C in summer. The island is covered in permafrost, but the top layers become warm enough in summer for rare arctic plants and flowers to grow. Herschel Island is a protected site because of its biological significance and cultural heritage.
The sea ice and permafrost have been protecting the islands coastal areas for centuries. As temperatures rise, the sea ice will decrease, the permafrost will start to melt and the coastal area will become more vulnerable to storms and erosion. The coastline at Pauline Cove is already eroding and is now desperately close to the whaling settlement, which is in danger of being swept into the sea.
The same could happen to the ancient Inuvialuit dwellings and the old graveyard, both of which will be susceptible to changing weather conditions as the permafrost melts and the soil becomes waterlogged.
