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Our monthly science question : How can we detect the effects of climate change in Northern Québec?

Our monthly science question : How can we detect the effects of climate change in Northern Québec?

January 5, 2026

( Update : December 19, 2025 )

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How can we detect the effects of climate change in Northern Québec? Our monthly science question: A series that demystifies complex subjects with simple, effective answers.

Northern Québec: A Diverse Landscape

In our collective imagination, the word “North” often evokes a vast, uniform expanse covered in snow and glaciers. In reality, Northern Québec is immense and heterogeneous, marked by a wide variety of landscapes and seasonal dynamics. Indigenous communities living there inhabit diverse environments—fjords, gulfs, forested areas—and witness daily transformations linked to climate change. These changes do not occur everywhere in the same way, making their scientific study particularly complex.

Observing the Landscape, Point by Point

To analyze the impacts of climate change across Northern Québec in all its immensity and diversity, we need a number of complementary approaches. Some scientific tools, such as in situ sensors, would be too costly to install in such remote environments, requiring electrical connections and logistics adapted to extreme temperatures. This is where satellites come into play!

The North, Seen from Above

In northern exploration, satellite sensors are used to collect regular data over large areas with high spatial and temporal resolution. These remote sensing tools are used by the team of Saeid Homayouni, an environmental geomatics expert and professor at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), based at the Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre. With a network of about 100 satellites, the team gathers a variety of information, including ice type, vegetation growth, and water salinity and temperature. These biophysical indicators are reliable markers for detecting climate change signals and tracking their trends.

Tools from the Sky… and the Ground

Satellite data is complemented by proven ground-based techniques, including coring, radar, and thermal and optical sensors. These technical tools are combined with the expertise of researchers in hydrology, ecology, and biology. This interdisciplinarity is essential to developing effective solutions for preserving this fragile ecosystem.

Traditional Knowledge as a Cornerstone

Professor Homayouni—also a member of Université Laval’s Centre for Northern Studies—emphasizes that alongside technology, collaborating with Indigenous populations is crucial. Through their knowledge and traditional practices, local communities help scientists connect past and present, to better understand certain changes in the environment and wildlife. This valuable intersection between scientific data and traditional knowledge is the key to human security and long-term protection of the land.

Saeid Homayouni

Saeid Homayouni

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