MSc Position

Posted: June 15, 2022
Anticipated start:  January or September 2023 (flexible)
Supervisory team: Trevor Lantz

Permafrost landscapes are undergoing rapid transformation, impacting infrastructure, hydrology, vegetation, and local livelihoods. In many regions the rate of change is so rapid that maintaining accurate inventories of permafrost disturbances presents a significant challenge.

This MSc project focusses on developing a protocol that will enable individuals such as park rangers, highway inspectors, hunters, and utility maintenance crews to record observations of anomalous conditions. The first part of this project will involve a review of existing observer-based networks and their suitability for qualitatively documenting permafrost conditions. The results of this review will be used to design a pilot protocol and web-reporting interface for recording anomalous permafrost conditions.

Interested applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in geography, environmental science, or a related field, and have a solid foundation in geomatics. Applicants must be self-motivated, have strong communication skills, the ability to manage multiple tasks, and be willing to travel to remote locations, potentially for extended periods. Preference will be given to students with previous experience working in northern communities and a background in GIS.

Stipend funding of $21,000 per year is guaranteed for two years, and support for travel to communities in the Western Canadian Arctic is also in
place.

For more information on this project, please contact tlantz@uvic.ca.

Posted: September 10, 2019
Anticipated start:  September 2021 (flexible)
Supervisory team: Dr. Shawn Kenny and Dr. Ryley Beddoe

The performance and integrity of northern linear infrastructure, such as railway lines and road networks, may be affected by ground deformation geohazards (e.g. subsidence, slope instability, permafrost degradation), which may be influenced by hydrology and climate change effects.

Recent flooding events caused an extensive disruption to service on the Hudson Bay rail line, with damage to bridges and culverts, and failure of the rail bed due to washout. A significant effort was undertaken to restore railway operations that included the installation of several culverts. The significance of climate change effects, such as future flood events and permafrost degradation, on the future performance of the railway culvert infrastructure requires further assessment. From this perspective, the research study will assess the resilience of current design standards and practices for railway culverts located in permafrost environments.  Supported by the research effort of other team members in the PermafrostNet network, site characterization (e.g. topographic, meteorological, hydrological, geotechnical, geophysical, permafrost attributes) of several culvert locations, for both original and recent installations, will be established. Centrifuge physical modelling and numerical simulation techniques may be used to assess these failure events, based on available knowledge, and estimate future performance, based on climate scenarios developed within the PermafrostNet research activities

We are seeking a highly motivated and engaged MSc candidate, to be enrolled in a civil engineering graduate studies program, with academic interests in the fields of geotechnical and permafrost sciences, site or field investigations, physical modelling and numerical simulation. The MSc candidate will be an integral team member of a multi-disciplinary supervisory committee and collaborate with other team members within the PermafrostNet network. All applications will be reviewed by the selection committee with respect to academic qualifications and integration within the network through the PermafrostNet lens on equity, diversity and inclusion. For more information on this project, please contact shawn.kenny@carleton.ca.

Posted: September 10, 2019
Anticipated start:  September 2021 (flexible)
Supervisory team: Dr. Shawn Kenny and Dr. Ryley Beddoe

The performance and integrity of northern linear infrastructure, such as railway lines and road networks, may be affected by ground deformation geohazards (e.g. subsidence, slope instability, permafrost degradation), which may be influenced by hydrology and climate change effects.

Recent flooding events caused an extensive disruption to service on the Hudson Bay rail line, with damage to bridges and culverts, and failure of the rail bed due to washout. A significant effort was undertaken to restore railway operations that included the installation of several culverts. The significance of climate change effects, such as future flood events and permafrost degradation, on the future performance of the railway culvert infrastructure requires further assessment. From this perspective, the research study will assess the resilience of current design standards and practices for railway culverts located in permafrost environments.  Supported by the research effort of other team members in the PermafrostNet network, site characterization (e.g. topographic, meteorological, hydrological, geotechnical, geophysical, permafrost attributes) of several culvert locations, for both original and recent installations, will be established. Centrifuge physical modelling and numerical simulation techniques may be used to assess these failure events, based on available knowledge, and estimate future performance, based on climate scenarios developed within the PermafrostNet research activities

We are seeking a highly motivated and engaged MSc candidate, to be enrolled in a civil engineering graduate studies program, with academic interests in the fields of geotechnical and permafrost sciences, site or field investigations, physical modelling and numerical simulation. The MSc candidate will be an integral team member of a multi-disciplinary supervisory committee and collaborate with other team members within the PermafrostNet network. All applications will be reviewed by the selection committee with respect to academic qualifications and integration within the network through the PermafrostNet lens on equity, diversity and inclusion. For more information on this project, please contact shawn.kenny@carleton.ca.

Posted: June 27, 2019
Anticipated start: September 2022 (flexible) 
Supervisory team: Dr. Pascale Roy-Léveillée, Dr. Maara Packalen, Dr. Trevor Lantz, Dr. Peter Pulsifier

In Weenusk First Nation’s traditional territory, near the Hudson Bay coast, local residents report widespread signs of permafrost degradation: degrading palsas and peat plateaus, widespread ground wetness, and changes in vegetation cover. These changes affect local access to country food by impeding overland travel and modifying the habitat of species key for local food security. This MSc will work in collaboration with community members and use remotely-sensed imagery and ground observations to map changes in moisture, vegetation, and extent of palsas and peat plateaus using object-based analysis. This work will support on-going community-based monitoring initiatives by creating maps of changing conditions at the territory scale that can be overlain with maps of trails, family areas, and sites of cultural significance. For more info on the project contact proyleveillee@laurentian.ca.