Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region
Tags: physical sciences, active layer, soil, vegetation, environmental change, slope failure
| Principal Investigator: | Kochtubajda, Bob (1) |
| Licence Number: | 12971 |
| Organization: | Environment Canada |
| Licensed Year(s): |
1998
|
| Issued: | Jun 18, 1998 |
| Project Team: | Ron Stewart, Paul Louie, Bob Crawford, Chris Spence |
Objective(s): One feature of permafrost that has responded significantly to past climate change is thickness of the active layer. The active layer, overlying permafrost, is earth material that thaws from the surface and refreezes each year. It forms the interface between permafrost and the atmosphere and biosphere, including many human activities. Active layer thickness influences vegetation and soil conditions, thereby influencing hunting, gathering, forestry, and agriculture. Thickness, texture and moisture content of the active layer affects foundation conditions for transportation and construction. Changes in the active layer and thaw penetration can contribute to slope instability with impacts on transportation facilities, and other structures. It is important to understand how the active layer varies locally and regionally and how it will respond to environmental change.
Project Description: We propose to transport ad install new automatic weather stations by truck, fixed wing and helicopter to three sites in the Fort Simpson area between mid-June through mid July 1998. The automatic weather stations are both solar-powered and battery-powered, and collect and transmit meteorological data for use in weather forecasts and warnings. The weather stations will be used to support the scientific studies of MAGS for the period of June 1998 to May 2002. The data collected include: temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed and direction, snow depth, precipitation, solar radiation (i.e. sunshine intensity), soil temperature and soil moisture. A field computer recording these parameters at each of these sites will transmit the data hourly to a major computer in Montreal by satellite communications. Each site will be visited at least once per year for routine maintenance by one of our field technicians; otherwise there is no manned presence. A precipitation gauge will be located near the wind tower. The remaining sensors, field computer, solar panel and satellite antenna and transmitter will be mounted on a 10 metre tilt-able wind tower. The weather stations will be located at the Fort Simpson airport, near Checkpoint and near the Lindberg cabins. Local people have been hired to assist in the maintenance support of some of the sensors.
