Ninth International Conference on Permafrost ... - IARC Research

Thermal State of Permafrost in Canada: A Contribution to the<strong>International</strong> Polar YearSharon L. SmithGeological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, CanadaAntoni G. LewkowiczDepartment of Geography, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CanadaChristopher R. BurnDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, CanadaIntroductionOver the past two to three decades, Canadian researchershave established and maintained a permafrost monitoringnetwork consisting of boreholes in which ground temperaturesare measured. Data collected from these sites have facilitateddocumentation of recent trends in permafrost thermal state(e.g., ACIA 2005, Smith et al. 2005, Lemke et al. 2007). Themonitoring network is also a key contribution to the GlobalTerrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P).The <strong>International</strong> Polar Year (IPY) provides theopportunity for the Canadian permafrost community and the<strong>International</strong> Permafrost Association (IPA) to conduct a welldesignedglobal and coordinated multinational programmeof permafrost observations in order to explore presentconditions and their spatial and temporal variability. It alsoprovides the opportunity to fill gaps identified in the ArcticClimate Impact Assessment (ACIA 2005), such as improvedcharacterization of permafrost-soil-vegetation interactionsand the upgrade and maintenance of long-term monitoringnetworks. Canada is a key contributor to the IPA-led IPYproject, the Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP).In 2007, a collaborative proposal from the GeologicalSurvey of Canada, University of Ottawa, and CarletonUniversity was successful in acquiring funding from theCanadian Government’s IPY program for TSP-Canada.This funding along with additional support acquired by theprincipal investigators and collaborators has facilitated theestablishment of new monitoring sites both prior to andduring IPY. This paper provides an overview of the TSP-Canada project and summarizes the establishment of newmonitoring sitesObjectives of TSP-CanadaCanada’s contribution to the Thermal State of Permafrostproject will examine the ongoing impacts of climate changeon permafrost conditions and meet the following objectives:(1) obtain a set of standardized temperature measurementsfor all Canadian monitoring sites (snapshot); (2) producea dataset and map of contemporary permafrost groundtemperatures contributing to a global effort; (3) increasethe number of monitoring sites prior to and during the IPY;(4) provide data to verify models to improve predictionof future permafrost conditions; (5) examine permafrostclimatelinkages and feedbacks to explain observed changeand variability in permafrost conditions; and (6) developoutreach products on permafrost change for northerners andpresent results in scientific papers.The project builds on an existing network of approximately100 thermal monitoring sites established over the last two tothree decades (see Smith et al. 2003). A key objective of theproject is enhancement of the network to fill thematic andregional gaps.Network EnhancementNew sitesOver the last two to three years, new monitoring sites havebeen established that contribute to TSP-Canada and GTN-P.Most of these new boreholes are less than 20 m deep, butsome extend to depths of 50 m. These new sites consist ofcased boreholes in which permanent thermistor cables havebeen installed.More than 50 new boreholes have been establishedin the western Arctic (Fig. 1). The majority of these arelocated in the Mackenzie Valley and Delta region and wereestablished to provide baseline information essential fordesign and environmental impact assessment of hydrocarbondevelopment projects. In particular, an important gap northof Norman Wells (north of ~65°N) has been addressed. Siteswere also established in collaboration with communities inthe NWT and Yukon Territory. Several new boreholes havebeen established in the central and southern Yukon.Through collaboration with Parks Canada, seven newboreholes were established in northern Manitoba. Thesesites are located in Wapusk National Park and York Factoryand represent a variety of terrain conditions. They providebetter coverage in the area to the west of Hudson Bay.Dataloggers have been connected to most of the thermistorcables to provide a continuous record of ground temperatures.For sites established prior to summer 2007, preliminaryground temperature data have been collected that providea baseline against which to measure change. All new siteswill be visited in 2008, and this should provide a record ofground temperatures for the first year of IPY.Plans for additional site establishmentDuring 2008, further site establishment is planned.Additional sites will be established in the central andsouthern Yukon. Deep boreholes to depths of 50 to 100 mare proposed with a number of them to be established incollaboration with a mineral exploration company. Efforts295