Na-Nah Island, Nunavut EarthCache

You will need the following items in order to gather the required information for this earthcache.
--GPS (for elevation reading)
--String line level
--String (100m+)
--Tall stick (a canoe or kayak paddle would do)
--Compass
--Measuring tape
--A friend

Once you arrive at Na-Nah Island, you will need to survey the surroundings. Make sure you come prepared with the above mentioned items and also a teammate so that you can perform the necessary tasks and be able to claim this earthcache as a find. Please send me your answers to the following:

Take Measurements (Please record your findings in centimeters/meters.)
A) --Put the GPS on the ground at the highpoint (posted coordinates) of the island and take an elevation reading.
B1) --At the highpoint of the island, run a string to the closest edge of the water and record the distance. Hold or attach your string at ground level at the highpoint. Have your partner attach the string to a long stick or paddle or hold the string at the edge of the water, making sure that the string is level (use your string level). Mark the spot on the string and then use your measuring tape to measure the distance marked on the string.
B2) --Use your compass to record the bearing from the highpoint to the closest edge of the water.
C1) --At the highpoint of the island, run a string to the furthest edge of the water and record the distance. Hold or attach your string at ground level at the highpoint. Have your partner attach the string to a long stick or paddle or hold the string at the edge of the water, making sure that the string is level (use your string level). Mark the spot on the string and then use your measuring tape to measure the distance marked on the string.
C2) --Use your compass to record the bearing from the highpoint to the furthest edge of the water.
C3) --Put the GPS on the ground here at the edge of the water and take an elevation reading.
D) --Which direction (bearing) are the waves heading when they hit the island.

Observations
D) --Describe the types of vegetation present on the island.
E) --Describe in your own words the makeup of the island (rock sizes, sand, silt)
F) --How is erosion effecting the makeup of the island and are there any effects from man that are effecting the island? Do you think this island changes significantly over the years and if so, how do you see it changing?
G) --(Optionally) post pictures of as much of the island as you can. If you came by float place, it would be great if you could take some aerial photos.
H) --How many other islands are visible from here?

Tide Data
I) --Post the date and time of your visit to the island.
J) --What was the approximate tide height at the time of your visit? I also quest that with your log, that you upload a screen shot of the Tide Chart from this web page (visit link) or you can go to this link (visit link) and save and upload this image. Depending on when you visit the island, you may want to take a screen shot before your visit as the tide chart is for 8 days only.

If you come back in a future year, please try the above tasks again and note the changes that have taken place.

James Bay (French: Baie James, Cree: Wînipekw) is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean, of which James Bay is the southernmost part. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay (the largest of which is Akimiski Island) are part of Nunavut. The James Bay watershed is the site of several major hydroelectric projects which can and does have a significant effect on the water along the major rivers and shorelines along such villages as Chisasibi and Eastmain.

As with the rest of Hudson Bay, the waters of James Bay routinely freeze over in winter, although it is the last to freeze over in winter, and conversely the first to thaw in summer.

Human presence along the shores of James Bay can be traced back to the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the last ice age around 8,150 years ago.

As a result of the James Bay Project the area is subject to earth tremors. This phenomenon is caused by the colossal weight of the artificial river, resulting in the shift of layers of rock, and although officials state that the reservoirs are only shallow lakes and the occurrence of a seismic disaster is remote at best, these geological tremors could potentially fatally harm the surrounding environment, as the region is typically dominated by slump-sensitive clays, and fault lines present in the St. Lawrence Valley.

As part of my earth sciences project, this earthcache will focus on the affects of tides on a specific island within James Bay and how it changes over time. The tides here can vary by as much as 2 meters throughout the day. This can have a significant effect on the islands within James Bay, especially those close to mainland Quebec. In the case of rising tides this can potentially make many of the smaller islands in the region completely disappear or reduce low lying islands to miniature version of what they once were. Tides and wave action can have both a positive and negative effect on these islands, by eroding them away and also depositing new silt and substance to continually change the size and shapes of these islands.

The word "tides" is a generic term used to define the alternating rise and fall in sea level with respect to the land, produced by the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun. To a much smaller extent, tides also occur in large lakes, the atmosphere, and within the solid crust of the earth, acted upon by these same gravitational forces of the moon and sun.

Tides are created because the Earth and the moon are attracted to each other, just like magnets are attracted to each other. The moon tries to pull at anything on the Earth to bring it closer. But, the Earth is able to hold onto everything except the water. Since the water is always moving, the Earth cannot hold onto it, and the moon is able to pull at it. Each day, there are two high tides and two low tides. The ocean is constantly moving from high tide to low tide, and then back to high tide. There is about 12 hours and 25 minutes between the two high tides.

Tides are the periodic rise and falling of large bodies of water. Winds and currents move the surface water causing waves. The gravitational attraction of the moon causes the oceans to bulge out in the direction of the moon. Another bulge occurs on the opposite side, since the Earth is also being pulled toward the moon (and away from the water on the far side). Ocean levels fluctuate daily as the sun, moon and earth interact. As the moon travels around the earth and as they, together, travel around the sun, the combined gravitational forces cause the world's oceans to rise and fall. Since the earth is rotating while this is happening, two tides occur each day.

The posted coordinates are on Na-Nah Island, Nunavut, about 2km from the mainland of Quebec. You will need to access the island by either boat or sea plane. In the winter you may be able to venture to the island by foot, skidoo or dog sled as James Bay does completely freeze up, however it would be very difficult to complete this earthcache when the island is covered in snow and ice. You can drive to N53 58.450 W79 04.700 which is at the end of Route de la Longue Pointe and start your approach to the designated island from there. This is also one of the furthest north spots that you can drive to within Quebec, the only other being the end of the Trans-Taiga Road which is almost at the 55th North Parallel and whose terminus is also the farthest point from any town (745 kilometres from Radisson) via road in North America,

A few fun facts about tides:
--The gravitational force of the moon is one ten-millionth that of earth, but when you combine other forces such as the earth's centrifugal force created by its spin, you get tides.
--The sun's gravitational force on the earth is only 46 percent that of the moon. Making the moon the single most important factor for the creation of tides.
--The sun's gravity also produces tides. But since the forces are smaller, as compared to the moon, the effects are greatly decreased.
--Tides are not caused by the direct pull of the moon's gravity. The moon is pulling upwards on the water while the earth is pulling downward. Slight advantage to the moon and thus we have tides.
--Whenever the Moon, Earth and Sun are aligned, the gravitational pull of the sun adds to that of the moon causing maximum tides.
--Spring tides happen when the sun and moon are on the same side of the earth (New Moon) or when the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth (Full Moon).
--When the Moon is at first quarter or last quarter phase (meaning that it is located at right angles to the Earth-Sun line), the Sun and Moon interfere with each other in producing tidal bulges and tides are generally weaker; these are called neap tides.
--The surf grows when it approaches a beach, and the tide increases. In bays and estuaries, this effect is amplified. (In the Bay of Fundy, tides have a range of 13.6 meters.)
--The highest tides in the world are at the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada.
--Because the earth rotates on its axis the moon completes one orbit in our sky every 25 hours (Not to be confused with moon's 27 day orbit around the earth), we get two tidal peaks as well as two tidal troughs. These events are separated by about 12 hours.
--Since the moon moves around the Earth, it is not always in the same place at the same time each day. So, each day, the times for high and low tides change by 50 minutes.
--The type of gravitational force that causes tides is known as "Tractive" force.