Interannual changes in seasonal ground freezing and near-surface heat flow beneath bottom-fast ice in the near-shore zone, Mackenzie Delta, NWT, Canada

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

STEVENS, C.W.

Dep. of Geosciences, univ., Calgary, Canada

MOORMAN, B.J.

Dep. of Geography, Univ., Calgary, Canada

SOLOMON, S.M.

Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Natural resources, Dartmouth, Canada

Description :
Interannual changes in seasonal ground freezing and near-surface heat flow beneath zones of bottom-fast ice (BFI) were examined over the winters of 2005–06 and 2006–07 within the near-shore zone of the Mackenzie Delta. Winter variability in ground thermal conditions was determined at 3 monitoring sites. When comparing conditions over the two winters, 2005–06 was characterised by a decrease in ice thickness that limited the extent of BFI and seasonal cooling of the ground. These changes in ice conditions had a greater effect on the thermal conditions at sites where water depths were close to the maximum ice thickness. The short ice contact times at these sites are important to the thermal state of permafrost, as only minimal heat exchange contributing to permafrost cooling occurs prior to freezeback of the active layer.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Permafrost and periglacial processes, issn : 1045-6740, 2010, vol. 21, n°. 3, p. 256-270, nombre de pages : 15, Références bibliographiques : 46 ref.

Date :
2010

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley

Langue :
Anglais