Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories
Permafrost conditions were examined near the Dempster Highway embankment on Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories. Ground temperatures were recorded in 2013–2015 at five sites at the embankment toe and at two sites in undisturbed (control) tundra. Annual mean ground temperatures at approximately 5 m d...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Arctic Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0036 |
| _version_ | 1819151250443206656 |
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| author | H. Brendan O’Neill Chris R. Burn |
| author_facet | H. Brendan O’Neill Chris R. Burn |
| author_sort | H. Brendan O’Neill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Permafrost conditions were examined near the Dempster Highway embankment on Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories. Ground temperatures were recorded in 2013–2015 at five sites at the embankment toe and at two sites in undisturbed (control) tundra. Annual mean ground temperatures at approximately 5 m depth ranged from −2.2 to 0.0 °C at the embankment toe and were −1.8 and −2.6 °C at control sites. Permafrost is degrading beside the road at four of five sites. Thaw depths are greater at the embankment toe, where deep snow accumulates, than in undisturbed tundra. A numerical model was used to examine the influence of varying snow cover properties on the ground thermal regime. Simulations indicated that delaying the onset of deep (1 m) snow accumulation and (or) prolonging the duration of the same total accumulation accelerates removal of latent heat from the active layer, increases sensible ground cooling, and results in reduced thaw depth. Furthermore, reducing snow depth and increasing snow density may rapidly raise the permafrost table, lower ground temperatures at the embankment toe, and cool permafrost at depth over several years. In consequence, mechanical snow removal and (or) compaction should be investigated as an active management strategy for mitigating permafrost degradation in ice-rich settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:30:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9ccee98c1bc4d6581e8d480b1b999af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2368-7460 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:30:25Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9ccee98c1bc4d6581e8d480b1b999af2022-12-21T18:22:46ZengCanadian Science PublishingArctic Science2368-74602017-06-013215017810.1139/as-2016-0036Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest TerritoriesH. Brendan O’Neill0Chris R. Burn1Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada; Department of Arctic Geology, The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, NorwayDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, CanadaPermafrost conditions were examined near the Dempster Highway embankment on Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories. Ground temperatures were recorded in 2013–2015 at five sites at the embankment toe and at two sites in undisturbed (control) tundra. Annual mean ground temperatures at approximately 5 m depth ranged from −2.2 to 0.0 °C at the embankment toe and were −1.8 and −2.6 °C at control sites. Permafrost is degrading beside the road at four of five sites. Thaw depths are greater at the embankment toe, where deep snow accumulates, than in undisturbed tundra. A numerical model was used to examine the influence of varying snow cover properties on the ground thermal regime. Simulations indicated that delaying the onset of deep (1 m) snow accumulation and (or) prolonging the duration of the same total accumulation accelerates removal of latent heat from the active layer, increases sensible ground cooling, and results in reduced thaw depth. Furthermore, reducing snow depth and increasing snow density may rapidly raise the permafrost table, lower ground temperatures at the embankment toe, and cool permafrost at depth over several years. In consequence, mechanical snow removal and (or) compaction should be investigated as an active management strategy for mitigating permafrost degradation in ice-rich settings.https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0036permafrostinfrastructurehighwaysthermal regimesnow cover |
| spellingShingle | H. Brendan O’Neill Chris R. Burn Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories Arctic Science permafrost infrastructure highways thermal regime snow cover |
| title | Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories |
| title_full | Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories |
| title_short | Impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability, including simulated snow management, Dempster Highway, Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories |
| title_sort | impacts of variations in snow cover on permafrost stability including simulated snow management dempster highway peel plateau northwest territories |
| topic | permafrost infrastructure highways thermal regime snow cover |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2016-0036 |
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