News

NSERC PermafrostNet news, updates and activities.

The study area showing the Hudson Bay Railway extending from Churchill to The Pas, Manitoba.

A study of thermal modeling parameters and their impact on modelled permafrost responses to climate warming

A study of thermal modeling parameters and their impact on modelled permafrost responses to climate warming

A study by Khatereh Roghangar and Jocelyn Hayley has assessed the effects of thermal modeling parameters on permafrost ground response to climate warming. They analyzed how variations in depth, water content, and soil type affect predictions of future active layer depths and settlement under various climate scenarios using the soil characteristics along Hudson Bay Railway corridor.

The results indicate that, for fine-grained soils, the depth of the model is a more significant parameter than for coarse-grained soils. The water content of all soil types is a critical factor in determining the time at which permafrost thaws and the depth at which the active layer is located, as higher water content leads to larger active layer changes and more settlement in most cases. These findings have important implications for infrastructure and land use management in the Arctic region.

Roghangar, K. and Hayley, J.L. (2024). A study of thermal modeling parameters and their impact on modelled permafrost responses to climate warming. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 221, 104155, DOI: 10.1016/j.coldregions.2024.104155.

The study area showing the Hudson Bay Railway extending from Churchill to The Pas, Manitoba.
The study area showing the Hudson Bay Railway extending from Churchill to The Pas, Manitoba.

By Tristan MacLean, ago

Report on the 2023 NSERC PermafrostNet AGM

We hosted our fifth network Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Victoria, BC. The meeting was both in-person and virtual with keynote presentations on individual research projects, poster presentations, as well as updates on theme progress and synthesis products from the theme leaders.

The live-streamed presentation recordings can be viewed on our website and the posters, and pdfs of presentations, are available on the website here.

You can download and read the public meeting report here, while members can access the full network report in our members area.

By Tristan MacLean, ago
Core in the core boat on the MSCL track.

Non-destructive multi-sensor core logging allows for rapid imaging and estimation of frozen bulk density and volumetric ice content in permafrost cores.

Non-destructive multi-sensor core logging allows for rapid imaging and estimation of frozen bulk density and volumetric ice content in permafrost cores

Exciting research in the Permafrost ArChives Science Laboratory (PACS Lab) at the University of Alberta has demonstrated a novel application of multi-sensor core logging for analyzing permafrost cores.

Measurements of core physical properties are typically destructive and time intensive.

Non-destructive multi-sensor core logging (MSCL) can efficiently analyze permafrost samples and provide high-resolution insights without these problems. The  new technique allows rapid imaging, measurement of bulk density and estimation of ice content in permafrost cores. The team were able to visualize cryostructures and estimate frozen bulk density, magnetic susceptibility, and volumetric ice content.

The new technique is described in the paper published in The Cryosphere by Duane Froese’s lab: Pumple, J., Monteath, A., Harvey, J., Roustaei, M., Alvarez, A., Buchanan, C., and Froese, D.: Non-destructive multi-sensor core logging allows for rapid imaging and estimation of frozen bulk density and volumetric ice content in permafrost cores, The Cryosphere, 18, 489–503, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-489-2024, 2024.

Core in the core boat on the MSCL track.
Core in the core boat on the MSCL track.

By Tristan MacLean, ago

NSERC CREATE LEAP

Taking Climate Action through Permafrost Training

“What happens in the North, doesn’t stay in the North”

The LEAP program aims to train tomorrow’s Leaders in Permafrost thaw and northern research by training and providing research funding to graduate students who will work alongside co-applicants or partnered universities across Canada on permafrost science and research. Undergraduate students are also welcome to apply for unfunded research opportunities alongside the program’s co-grantee and collaborators, which they can use to complete their thesis.

You can read more about the NSERC CREATE LEAP program in the feature on Carleton University’s news on experiential learning.

By Tristan MacLean, ago
Yukon Territory and western Northwest Territories, including Mackenzie Mountains and adjacent Mackenzie River Valley, with locations of all weather stations.

Performance of climate projections for Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories.

Performance of climate projections for Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories.

The design of infrastructure on permafrost must account for the impacts of a changing climate on ground stability. While guidelines like CSA PLUS 4011:19 provide a framework, choosing appropriate climate scenarios remains a challenge.

The study by Astrid Schetselaar, Trevor Anderson and Chris Burn reveals that observed warming in the Yukon and Northwest Territories (1991-2020) aligns with more extreme climate projections made in 2003 for the Mackenzie Gas Project.

Key takeaways for developers:

  • Consider adopting more aggressive climate change scenarios when designing permafrost foundations, as these projections have been more accurate.
  • Near-surface permafrost in southern parts of the region may become unsustainable. Thorough site investigations for thaw-stable soils are crucial.
  • Rising winter temperatures imply that the operational efficacy of thermosyphons, used to chill foundations, may be impeded.  At sites where preservation of frozen ground is essential for infrastructure integrity, the number of thermosyphons required may need to increase.

Schetselaar, A.B., Andersen, T.S., and Burn, C.R. 2023. Performance of climate projections for Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories, 1991-2020. Arctic, 76(3). doi: 10.14430/arctic77263

Yukon Territory and western Northwest Territories, including Mackenzie Mountains and adjacent Mackenzie River Valley, with locations of all weather stations.
Yukon Territory and western Northwest Territories, including Mackenzie Mountains and adjacent Mackenzie River Valley, with locations of all weather stations.

By Tristan MacLean, ago

Seminar video – SIKU: the Indigenous Knowledge Social Network as a tool for Indigenous-led research and meaningful research engagement with Indigenous communities.

The NSERC PermafrostNet seminar video on SIKU is now available.

Sophie Crump presented her seminar on SIKU: the Indigenous Knowledge Social Network as a tool for Indigenous-led research and meaningful research engagement with Indigenous communities. Sophie presented examples of how SIKU is being used to document permafrost in the environment and opened up the discussion on using the platform for both knowledge sharing and monitoring of permafrost.

By Tristan MacLean, ago
Comparison of mountain areas with permafrost in western Canada (coloured) and European areas (grey) for mean annual air temperature and total annual precipitation at a resolution of 30 km x 30 km.

Transferring Cryosphere Knowledge between Mountains Globally: A Case Study of Western Canadian Mountains, the European Alps and the Scandes

Transferring Cryosphere Knowledge between Mountains Globally: A Case Study of Western Canadian Mountains, the European Alps and the Scandes

Most mountain permafrost research has been focussed on the small area of the European alps. This leads to the question, can you transfer cryosphere knowledge from the Scandes and Alps to Canada?

Emilie Stewart-Jones, has now developed a method for comparing regional climates at a coarse scale to highlight similarities and differences. Her paper “Transferring Cryosphere Knowledge between Mountains Globally: A Case Study of Western Canadian Mountains, the European Alps and the Scandes” published in the Journal of Alpine Research in November can now answer the question of whether we can transfer our knowledge of permafrost in one region to another.

Comparison of mountain areas with permafrost in western Canada (coloured) and European areas (grey) for mean annual air temperature and total annual precipitation at a resolution of 30 km x 30 km.
Comparison of mountain areas with permafrost in western Canada (coloured) and European areas (grey) for mean annual air temperature and total annual precipitation at a resolution of 30 km x 30 km.

By Tristan MacLean, ago
Coverage of the ArcticDEM in the Arctic with permafrost extent.

Identifying active retrogressive thaw slumps from ArcticDEM

 Identifying active retrogressive thaw slumps from ArcticDEM

The extent of permafrost thaw in the pan-Arctic remains unknown, but remote sensing, deep learning and crowdsourcing are helping to map permafrost degradation in the landscape.

The recent study by Huang et al study provides data and serves to develop a global inventory and better understand permafrost thaw in the pan-Arctic using very high resolution remote sensing. This approach could lead to a global inventory of retrogressive thaw slumps.

Lingcao Huang, Michael J. Willis, Guiye Li, Trevor C. Lantz, Kevin Schaefer, Elizabeth Wig, Guofeng Cao, Kristy F. Tiampo, Identifying active retrogressive thaw slumps from ArcticDEM, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Volume 205, 2023, Pages 301-316, ISSN 0924-2716.

Coverage of the ArcticDEM in the Arctic with permafrost extent.
Coverage of the ArcticDEM in the Arctic with permafrost extent.

By Tristan MacLean, ago
Global map summarizing locations of field sites where electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been used to study permafrost (2000–22) based on the literature search.

Best practices for using electrical resistivity tomography to investigate permafrost.

Best practices for using electrical resistivity tomography to investigate permafrost

A recent study by Teddi Herring suggests ways to improve how Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is used for permafrost and highlights recent advances in this approach. ERT is a technique that is incredibly useful for studying permafrost, enabling us to see how deep the permafrost layer is and identify areas with ice content.

There has been a 10-fold increase in publications of studies using ERT to analysis permafrost in the last 20 years, and though challenges remain, and there’s no single “best way” to do it yet, the study makes recommendations for conducting ERT surveys to maximize the utility of existing and future data.

Herring T,  Lewkowicz AG,  Hauck C, et al.  Best practices for using electrical resistivity tomography to investigate permafrost. Permafrost and Periglac Process.  2023; 34(4): 494-512. doi:10.1002/ppp.2207

Global map summarizing locations of field sites where electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been used to study permafrost (2000–22) based on the literature search.
Global map summarizing locations of field sites where electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been used to study permafrost (2000–22) based on the literature search.

By Tristan MacLean, ago