Regional Conference on Permafrost 2021 and the 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering
Ground Temperature Responses to Climatic Trends in a Range of Surficial Deposits near Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik
Publication: Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
ABSTRACT
This paper discusses ground temperature responses to climate variations in a range of surficial geology units near Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik. Sixteen thermistor cables, extending to depths from 2.9 to 20 m, were installed in various settings near the community over 35 years. Here we examine ground temperature at three contrasting sites: a lithalsa in ice-rich marine clays near the shoreline, a glaciofluvial delta (sand and gravel), and bedrock (massive gneiss), to compare thermal regimes and responses to climatic variations over the last 20 to 30 years. With climate warming, the site in marine deposits has become isothermal near 0°C and the release of latent heat now impedes ground temperature responses to climate. In sand and gravel, freeze-back is delayed until late in winter with clear development of a zero curtain due to formation of a perched water table in the deepened active layer. Short-term air temperature variations and regional climatic trends are effectively transmitted at depth into highly conductive dry bedrock, where active layer depth also readily responds to air temperature variations.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the community of Kangiqsualujjuaq for its welcoming attitude towards us. Several granting organizations supported the installation of monitoring equipment and this research: the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Fonds Québécois de Recherche pour la Nature et les Technologies and the ArcticNet Network of Centers of Excellence. Special thanks to research professionals and assistants including Emmanuel L’Hérault, Denis Sarrazin, Geneviöve Degré-Timmons and Luc Cournoyer for their assistance with data collection, equipment maintenance, and data management and proofing. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments regarding this paper.
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Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
Pages: 27 - 37
Editor: Jon Zufelt, Ph.D., HDR Alaska
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8358-9
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Oct 21, 2021
Published in print: Oct 21, 2021
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