NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: permafrost, climate change

Objective(s): To understand how permafrost responds now and in the future to changes across the forest-tundra transition within the Canadian shield.

Project Description: The objectives of this five year project are to: 1) better understand how permafrost differs in temperature and chemical/physical characteristics from place to place; 2) understand how these different types of permafrost respond to change; and 3) understand which future changes in permafrost are likely or less likely based on computer simulations. This research will examine how strongly permafrost and its properties differ across the forest-tundra transition within the Canadian Shield. Much of the past investigations were focused on sites that were of special interest or easy to access for research. With this project will try to get a more realistic understanding of the entire landscape. This will be important to help make decisions on land use or to understand changes in water quality, plants, landforms. To do this, researchers will select three regions (forest, tundra, possible one site in transition) and randomly place 25-50 measurement sites of about 10m by 10m in each region. At each site, measure ground temperatures in several locations and describe and sample ground conditions (topography, vegetation, soil). Then the researchers will analyze the variation within each site (topography, temperature, physical/chemical characteristics) and examine how ground conditions drive permafrost conditions. They will compare the results across the three regions. The field data will be used in and compared to computer simulations to predict permafrost properties and their changes. It will help to show where models are good enough to inform decisions and identify settings where models need further research and development. This research team will take advantage of other permafrost-related projects in the region (in collaboration with the Geoscience Office and the Geological Survey of Canada). Access will be very low impact and rely on existing camps, helicopters, and in winter, snow machine. The field crew will not disturb wildlife and take care to avoid migrating caribou. The instrumentation involves very small battery driven data loggers (about 15 cm in length) that will be concealed at ground level in an unobtrusive container. In order to be effective, site installations must have negligible impact to the permafrost, soils and surrounding vegetation. Some stations measure air temperature, but most will leave no visible trace on the ground surface. Field visits will be brief in duration. Research will be presented at the Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, as well as other suitable venues for communication of results to local land managers and community members. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from February 16, 2015 to December 31, 2015.