During the summer of 1999 at Bear Lake, Devon Island, air temperature, precipitation, water temperature, sedimentation rates, discharge, and bottom currents were monitored. Lake level was recorded with a Steven s Type F chart recorder from June 16 to August 18. Twelve arrays were placed throughout the lake, with either two or three traps per array. Each trap set was collected weekly or bi-weekly. Average MAR values were much lower than those reported for a Swiss alpine glacial lake, a reflection of the lower air temperature, lower glacial melt, and lower organic content of this High Arctic watershed.
Aeolian transport is an important process of sedimentation at Bear Lake.
In the summer of 1999, a sandy dune-like patch was observed on the lake ice. It was located about 1 km from, and parallel to, the front of the sandur. Median grain size was measured at 0.26 mm. As the melt season progressed, the lake ice under this area thinned rapidly, with open water developing at least two weeks prior to nearby areas. A sediment trap array was moored directly under the area of the sandy patch that had the densest accumulation of sediment.