Thaw flows and ground ice investigation in sediments in Fort McPherson region, NWT

Regions: Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: physical sciences, geology, permafrost degradation, slumping, stratigraphy

Principal Investigator: LAURIOL, Bernard (3)
Licence Number: 14584
Organization: University of Ottawa
Licensed Year(s): 2009
Issued: Aug 12, 2009
Project Team: CLARK Ian D. (Co-supervisor, University of Ottawa), UTTING Nicholas (Student. PhD., University of Ottawa), COTE Melanie (Student. MSc., University of Ottawa), AGOSTA Sarah (Student. Field assistant, ... Show moreUniversity of Ottawa) Show less

Objective(s): The main goal of this project is to determine the distribution, nature and origin of three thaw flows and the ground ice bodies in the Fort McPherson region.

Project Description: The main goal of this project is to determine the distribution, nature and origin of three thaw flows and the ground ice bodies in the Fort McPherson region. The results will be useful to understand similar features present along the Richardson Mountains. The researchers plan to spend a full week in the Fort McPherson region to sample the ice and the sediment. The field camp will be based at the Fort McPherson Campground during this week. The researchers will use sedimentological analyses and radiocarbon datation to determine the nature and age of sediment in which the ice is included. They will use a Radardsat 2 image to evaluate the potential to underground ice cartography in the site. Methods include: • The exposures present in the headwalls of thaw slumps will be described, with special attention to the cryostratigraphy and sampled at every 30 cm intervals for isotopic composition and water-ice-conternt. • S... Show moretable isotope analyses will be conducted at the G.G. Hatch Isotope Laboratory at the University of Ottawa. • Ice crystallography analyses will be conducted in a cold room at the Geological Survey of Canada (Division of Glaciology). • Radarsat 2 image will be analyzed at the University of Ottawa, Department of Geography. Two residents from Fort McPherson will be employed for a full week to help at the project. These two residents will be fully informed of the work. The researchers hope also to gain a better knowledge of the region with their help. The researchers will send the results of the work to the community and to Aurora Research Institute. As they will stay at the campground, they are also available to present their work at the community. Underground massive ice bodies are very common along the Richardson Mountains and they have studied them in different places in the Yukon (near Engineering Creek and along the Eagle River) and in the Aklavik region. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 12 to 20, 2009, in the Mackenzie Mountains (N 67.16’30” W 135.10’00”). Show less