A digital terrain and GIS model of an Arctic esker near Lac du Gras in the Northwest Territories of Canada. As a prominent landform in the arctic, eskers serve an important role, not only as sources of aggregate but also as transportation routes, wildlife habitat, and cultural sites for humans. This study outlines the development of an integrated system designed to support research into the possible impacts human activities on eskers. The preliminary version of this system integrates GIS and remotely sensed airphoto data to produce a multi-dimensional computer generated model examining the Lac du Savage esker near the BHP Ekati Diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. Using mosaiced airphotos draped on a TIN, a three dimensional virtual esker was created.
Data points are also overlain to access a variety of information.
This can now serve as the framework to foster expanded research of the effects of human development and the arctic ecosystem with respect to post-glacial landforms such as the esker. This paper will discuss the benefits of such a system as well as the problems that are faced with it. Future directions of research on this and other eskers are also discussed.