Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Large areas of the Canadian and global North are experiencing a degradation of the ""permanently frozen"" layer of soil called permafrost and this has begun to impact natural systems, economic activity, and climate. The research program will quantify changing subsurface material properties in degrading permafrost by simulation (scale, validation, uncertainty) and measurement (water content, subsidence). Expected outcomes include maps and scenarios with demonstrable reliability and quantitative information on current and future permafrost systems. By significantly improving prediction and model validation capabilities, this will benefit sustainable economic development, environmental conservation, and research in the changing North.