TER78 - New insights into ground ice in permafrost: Fundamental and applied research at local to regional scales

Ground ice influences permafrost terrain evolution and infrastructure stability, and its degradation has broad ranging effects on northern landscapes and human activities. These include damage to infrastructure, subsidence and ponding that influences wildlife habitat and local travel on the land, hillslope failures that transport sediments to aquatic ecosystems, and the mobilization of previously frozen carbon. Despite ground ice playing a crucial role in permafrost landscape evolution, its characterization remains limited in many areas. This session will present research that improves our knowledge and understanding of the nature and distribution of ground ice in permafrost and its evolution (past, present, and future) under the effects of climate and ecosystem change. We welcome submissions on novel investigations of ground ice and thermokarst from local to regional scales using geomorphological, cryostratigraphic, biogeochemical, geophysical, or remote sensing approaches. 

Co-Chairs: Brendan O’Neill, Natural Resources Canada 

Alexandre Chiasson, University of Alberta 

Yifeng Wang, Queen’s University 

Tabatha Rahman, Université Laval 

Kethra Campbell-Heaton, University of Ottawa