NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: physical sciences, water quality, ground temperature, permafrost, climate change, glaciology, treeline

Objective(s): To investigate the relations between air and ground temperatures across the treeline, to investigate the effects of permafrost degradation on the water quality of lakes adjacent to sumps, and to examine permafrost characteristics in the Mackenzie Delta and the effects of climate change on permafrost conditions.

Project Description: The goals of this collaborative research program initiated by the Water Resources Division, DIAND are to: 1) enhance the understanding of environmental conditions in the Mackenzie Delta region; 2) examine the effects of global climate change on the Delta region; and 3) develop a knowledge base that can be directly applied to environmental decision-making in the context of planning, assessment and management of oil and gas related development. Year 4 of this five-year project will include investigating relations between air and ground temperatures across the treeline; investigating the effects of drilling mud sumps on the water quality of tundra lakes; and examining permafrost characteristics and effects of climate change on ground temperatures in the Mackenzie Delta region. Eight sites (T1 to Illisarvik) were established between Inuvik and the Beaufort Sea Coast (Maps 1&2) to determine the relations between air and ground temperatures across the treeline. These sites will be revisited to retrieve data from thermistor loggers installed to 10 m depth in 2006. The variation in water chemistry of several tundra lakes along the proposed pipeline corridor between Inuvik and the Beaufort Sea will be re-sampled. Water samples will be collected at an additional 20-30 lakes with sumps located within their catchments. Ongoing monitoring of shallow and deep temperature cables installed in Mackenzie Delta and on the adjacent tundra uplands will occur to measure spatial variation in permafrost temperatures. This data will be compared with information collected at these sites in the 1970s, which may indicate how permafrost at different sites has responded to recent environmental change. Soils and vegetation characteristics will be evaluated in the Kendall Island Bird Sanctuary and on Langley and Ellice for salinization. Research sites will be accessed by boat and helicopter during summer, and by snowmobile, truck and helicopter in winter. Equipment used on site will consist of: 1) 1 portable two person earth auger, used to retrieve soil cores to a depth of 2 m; 2) active layer probes, for determining the depth of thaw at each site during summer and snow depth in winter; 3) Mount Rose snow corer; 4) HOBO data loggers to record air and near-surface ground temperatures at the investigation sites during the year; 5) plastic sample bottles for lake water sampling; 6) a Hydrolab Multimeter Data Sonde for water chemistry data collection. Results of this research will be shared with interested parties through presentations, workshops, conferences and publications. Fieldwork will be carried out from March 15 to December 31, 2007 at sites in the Parsons Lake area, Noell Lake area, in the vicinity of Inuvik, and on Richards Island.