Colin McCarter

Canadian wetlands are treasures that deserve protection Canada is home to a quarter of the world’s remaining wetlands. Despite decades of efforts, wetlands continue to be under threat around the world.

COP15 of the Ramsar Convention starts today. Here in Canada we have the privilege of being home to a quarter of the world's remaining wetlands. Let's not forget what a treasure they are.
theconversation.com/canadian-wet...

Check out our new paper "Ecohydrological drivers of Boreal Shield peatland fire refugia" in Ecohydrology.

Authors: Alex Tekatch, Chantel Markle, Sophie Wilkinson, Paul Moore, @mercury-ecohydro.bsky.social, @peatofmind.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Tansley Review now out @newphyt.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... big team effort involving @garethclay.bsky.social @jpritson.bsky.social @em-shuttleworth.bsky.social @queenofpeat.bsky.social @peatofmind.bsky.social @mercury-ecohydro.bsky.social @adamjohnst.bsky.social (1/2)

The smoke from Canada's wildfires may be even more toxic than usual The country's legacy of mining means that toxic metals could be carried along plumes of smoke, endangering people in its path.

The smoke from Canada’s wildfires may be even more toxic than usual.

A legacy of mining means that toxic metals could be carried along plumes of smoke.

grist.org/climate/cana...

#Wildfire #Smoke #Wildfires #Climate #Air #AQI

Peat fires and the unknown risk of legacy metal and metalloid pollution - IOPscienceSearch Peat fires and the unknown risk of legacy metal and metalloid pollution, McCarter, Colin P R, Clay, Gareth D, Wilkinson, Sophie L, Page, Susan, Shuttleworth, Emma L, Davidson, Scott J, Taufik, Muh, Sigmund, Gabriel, Waddington, James M

While we have been working on these issues in the peatland-rich regions (tinyurl.com/ypamm7x7, tinyurl.com/3pdtwana), we urgently need to identify these historical (and current) toxic metal bullseyes to implement appropriate fire management and first responder mitigation measures. 2/2

Boreal wildfires are, yet again, raging near historical smelting toxic metal pollution sources. The peatlands, forests, and lakes near Flin Flon MB have elevated toxic metals (e.g. Hg, As, Pb) that current wildfires can remobilize to our air, land, and water (similar to tinyurl.com/yv7usr6b). 1/2

There is no better way to end two difficult weeks than a lab meeting with awesome scientists!

Pete Whittington, @wetland-ghg.bsky.social, @mercury-ecohydro.bsky.social, & I are working on the #peatland #ecohydrology chapter for a forthcoming ecohydrology book. Its been a pleasure writing with such knowledgeable and supportive colleagues. But I'm most proud of us meeting the 6,000 word limit!

Hydrology Paper of the Day @mercury-ecohydro.bsky.social @peatofmind.bsky.social @gregverkaik.bsky.social on how the release of Cu, Ni, S and other metals reduces moss species; changes the density, porosity and soil water content; modifies the water table; and transports toxins in Sudbury peatlands.

New peatland paper alert!

Very pleased to have our research on the impact of smelter pollution on peat hydrophysical properties published in Hydrological Processes.

The paper was published on Christmas Day which was a special present given the challenges we had with this "Covid paper".

1/4

Hydrophysical Properties of Peat in Undisturbed and Smelter‐Impacted Peatlands: Implications for Moss Recovery, Drought and Wildfire Compared to undisturbed peat, the legacy of atmospherically deposited toxic metals from mining and smelter activities has altered peat hydrophysical properties rendering them more susceptible to peat...

Christmas day publication (a first for me!) on how industrial smelters' impact hydrophysical peat properties and the implications for wildfires, restoration, and drought! A great collab with @peatofmind.bsky.social , @gregverkaik.bsky.social , and others!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

BG3.25: Polluted peatland landscapes: identifying problems and uncovering solutions

@garethclay.bsky.social @mercury-ecohydro.bsky.social

meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/sessio...

#PeatECR
#PeatSky
#EGU25

YouTube video by WebsEdge Science Developing Novel Peatland Restoration Solutions in Metal Polluted Landscapes – Nipissing University

Having some #AGU2024 FoMo this year but can’t leave the family again. At least our (Drs Ellie Goud Pete Whittington Peter Beckett @florinp.bsky.social & @nbasiliko.bsky.social) research on restoring critical #peatland functions in heavily metal polluted landscapes is still there youtu.be/-smiKnf-WU8

Peat fires and legacy toxic metal release: An integrative biogeochemical and ecohydrological conceptual framework Peatlands are potent landscape sinks of natural and industrial toxic metals and metalloids (TMMs) but the long-term sequestration of TMMs in peatlands…

I would think it is possible emissions could be more toxic, but not my area of fire expertise. There’s some neat research in this domain (ish) for peatlands and toxic metal release, see www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Maybe @peatofmind.bsky.social has more thoughts!

There is some good research on peat fire air quality from SE Asia but not as much from northern peatlands. doi.org/10.1016/j.at..., doi.org/10.1029/2019..., acp.copernicus.org/articles/18/..., www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Emissions from peat fires can be quite harmful, even in what might be considered pristine regions. Peatlands store a more metals vs forests or grasslands and can be emitted bound to PM, particularly PM2.5. We are just starting to really dig into this though! shorturl.at/xahYs, shorturl.at/7VpkI

The deadline for session proposals at this year’s Canadian Geophysical Union Annual Meeting with CMOS is quickly approaching (December 2nd)! Submit your sessions ASAP. I cannot wait to see everyone’s amazing science this coming spring!
www.cmos.ca/site/congres...

There is still time to register for the CGU Biogeoscience mentorship event later today! Come chat with us and our mentors about consulting!

Paludiculture, peatland management and restoration meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/sessio...

@tannebergerf.bsky.social

#PeatSky #PeatECR #PeatlandsMatter

Polluted Peatland Landscapes: identifying problems and uncovering solutions meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/sessio...

@garethclay.bsky.social @mercury-ecohydro.bsky.social

#PeatSky #PeatECR #PeatlandsMatter

Interested in consulting after grad school? Come to CGU Biogeoscience's second fall coffee chat mentoring event Thursday Nov 21.

Peat fire ecohydrological modelling MSc research opps!

We are recruiting two MSc researchers for a May or Sept 2025 start.

#ecohydrology #wildfire #modelling #peatlands

GIS, remote sensing, and/or Hydrus-1D modelling skills are an asset. Details at mcmasterecohydrology.ca/opportunitie...

Busy week setting up 3 sites for GHG fluxes and building 800+ ft of boardwalk at our (Ellie Goud, Nate Basiliko, Pete Whittington, Peter Beckett, John Gunn) metal contaminated restoration trial in Sudbury! Couldn’t have done it without our awesome students!

The Mercury and Ecohydrology Research Laboratory is hiring a 2-yr PDF! Come work with us on restoring metal and sulphur contaminated peatlands! Applications due March 25th. DMs and email inquiries welcome!

Thanks to my co-authors at Marcell Experimental Forest and beyond for getting this one across this finish line! Also, it is the first paper from the new(ish) Mercury and Ecohydrology Research Laboratory.
. 3/3

Using a 17 yr stream water chemistry record, nestled within 21 yr atmo deposition and 55 yr hydroclimate records, we untangle how total mercury and methylmercury export is impacted by climate change and cleaner air. A rare “good news” mercury story! 2/3

Curious how methylmercury export from peatland catchments is changing due to climate change and cleaner air? Surprisingly, it is decreasing as lower atmo pollution more than offsets increase methylmercury production due to higher temps! tinyurl.com/5yzv59hx #PeatPaper… 1/3

Don't miss it, CGU BioGeoSci is having our second Mentoring Event tomorrow at 12pm EST. Come join us to learn about non-academic career paths!

This looks so awesome, I wish I wasn’t already over-committed on international travel this year😞

It really should be but I understand why it hasn’t been done yet. It gets so complicated teasing out different peatlands at global scales, particularly since we don’t even have an agreed on classification system.