Permafrost Active Layer Depth - Torngat Mountains

The Torngat National Park monitors the permafrost depth in the Ivitak wateshed. A temperature cable with 8 thermistors at depths from 0.5 to 7 m deep was installed in August 2010, and has been recording ground temperature at each depth at 8 hour intervals since that time. The site is a deep alluvial silt deposit near the mouth of the Ivitak / McCornick River, on the south shore of Nachvak Fiord. Temperatures for the first year or more are unusually warm, likely a result of warming caused by water jet drilling during installation. Temperatures down to 1.5 m deep show strong seasonal fluctuations, as expected in the active layer. Deeper temperatures are much more stable, and are apparently coldest at ~2 m depth, but it is not entirely clear that the site supports permafrost except possibly in a narrow lens from 2-3 m deep.

Organization: Parks Canada | Parcs Canada

Last modified: 2024-12-09T17:03:20.617117