Breaking boundaries in water research

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Facilitating and promoting interdisciplinary water research and education is a primary role of the Water Institute at the University of Waterloo. On a regular basis, the Water Institute brings an RBC Visiting Fellow to campus to stimulate discussion and the exploration of collaborative research opportunities with Water Institute faculty and students.

One of Canada’s greatest natural resources doesn’t need mining or refining, it just needs researchers to help us leave it alone.

Maria Strack
The true north strong and free. It’s a well-worn phrase evoking soaring mountains, verdant forests, rocky coasts and golden plains. But Canada also has a massive wet, marshy, boggy, ignored landscape known as peatlands. They may not have made it into our national anthem, but according to Water Institute member and professor in Waterloo's Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Maria Strack, they could be one of Canada’s secret weapon to fight climate change.  

Glaciers can warn us about the looming dangers of climate change, but it takes a multidisciplinary scientist (with a warm jacket) to interpret the message.

Christine making Maria LaughGlaciers may have the reputation of moving slowly, but deep below them, unseen by humans, things are moving more quickly every day. Global warming is melting our glaciers, creating streams of icy water and slush below the surface. If this water spreads out, it can lubricate the ice above it and cause the glaciers to flow faster. While this melt and the resulting glacier flow tells scientists how fast our climate is changing, it’s up to a new breed of scientist to tell us how fast we need to act. 

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