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.