EUCOP 2023 – PermafrostNet

The 6th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2023) was held in Puigcerdà (Catalonia, Spain), 18-22 June 2023.

Following the International and Regional conferences convened by the International Permafrost Association, the 6th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2023) was held in Puigcerdà (Catalonia, Spain), 18-22 June 2023. The conference encompassed all relevant aspects of permafrost research, engineering and outreach on a global and regional level during three exciting days of plenary lectures, oral presentations and posters, combined with several local field trips across the eastern Pyrenees (Cerdanya, Núria, Andorra, etc).

The conference brought together nearly 500 permafrost scientists from all over the world and covered a wide range of permafrost topics from research to engineering and outreach. It was an entire week dedicated to permafrost, something that had not happened since the last EUCOP in 2018. The relatively small number of attendants combined with the proximity that a smaller town offers were the perfect ingredients to renew and foster new partnerships, exchange in a casual atmosphere, and create a sense of community. During the week, conference attendees were able to attend high-level plenary lectures, participate to topical sessions, and have discussions during the poster sessions. The quality and variety of presentations was outstanding, and Canadian researchers once again showed the relevance of their work and their know-how to their international colleagues.

Presentations

There were a range of research presentations at EUCOP 2023 by network members. Some of the presentations are available below.

Toni Lewkowicz

Title: Changing discontinuous permafrost evaluated using repeat electrical resistivity tomography, northwest Canada.

Hannah Macdonell

Titre: Uncovering Ground-Temperature Model Accuracy in Permafrost Environments.

Mahya Roustaei

Titre: Non-destructive characterization of permafrost physical properties using industrial computed tomography.

Tabatha Rahman

Titre: The distribution, morphometry, and volume of wedge ice in the Barrens of northern Manitoba, Canada.

Pascale Roy-Léveillée

Titre: Catastrophic drainages and landscape evolution in Old Crow Flats, Yukon.

Emma Street

Titre: Exploring Traditional Knowledge of Permafrost Change in the Gwich’in Settlement Area and Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

PYRN-Permafrost Young Researchers Network Awards

The PYRN vice-president Adam Kirkwood presented the awards for best oral presentation and best poster presentation by Early Career Researchers at the conference.

Congratulations to Natalie Arpin for the best oral presentation and to Pia Petzold for the best poster presentation.

Congratulations also to Samuel Gagnon who won 2nd place for his oral presentation – Contemporary formation of ice wedge pseudomorph during the expansion of a thermokarst lake followed by lake drainage in Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada.