A Field Report by Laura Guilhot

As part of my doctoral thesis in geography at Université Laval, under the supervision of Najat Bhiry (Université Laval) and co-supervision of Alexandre Langlois (Université de Sherbrooke), I had the opportunity to visit the Inuit communities of Kangiqsujuaq (61°35′53″N, 71°57′13″W) and Kangiqsualujjuaq (58°41′43″N, 65°57′23″W) for the first time.

This first fieldwork took place from April 1 to 16, 2026, and its main objective was to conduct initial snow measurements in both communities. Along with Megan Cramb, Marie-Clara Delage, and Violaine Paquette (master’s students) as well as Jean-Benoît Madore (scientific coordinator), all members of GRIMP (Groupe de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur les Milieux Polaires) at the Université de Sherbrooke, we were able to meet with various stakeholders involved in land-use planning and discuss the many challenges they face.

Indeed, between permafrost thaw and the topographical constraints of glacial valleys, the rapid development of communities in Nunavik is often limited to areas potentially exposed to avalanches.

My research aims to improve the prediction of these phenomena by identifying the physical properties of snow that influence the stability of the snowpack; the goal is to provide communities with decision-support tools to aid their development.

To address the lack of snow data and the high spatial variability of the snowpack, a methodology combining modeling with remote sensing is preferred for studying these parameters in the context of Nunavik. However, these methods require validation data to ensure that satellite observations and snow cover simulations align with reality.

For this reason, we conducted several snow measurements near slopes identified as avalanche-prone to understand the composition of the snowpack and its stability in these areas.

We dug seven and three snow pits in Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kangiqsujuaq, respectively, in which we identified the different snow layers, measured their temperature and density, and determined the size and type of grains that make them up.

These data are the first in a long series, and I look forward to continuing this work in the coming avalanche seasons.

In the meantime, this summer’s fieldwork (snow-free this time) will help us better understand the geomorphology of these areas and identify future locations where we will take our snow measurements.