| Title | Environmental Impacts of permafrost degradation / Impact environnementaux de la dégradation du pergélisol |
| Download | Download (whole publication) |
| |
| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | Duchesne, M J |
| Source | Public presentations of May 21st, 2019: Environmental Geoscience Program, current status of research projects for the 2019-2024 program cycle; by Jacob, N; Bringué, M; Galloway, J M; Gammon, P R; Outridge, P M; Desbarats, A J; Rivard, C; Ahad, J M E; Duchesne, M J; Geological Survey of Canada, Scientific Presentation 103, 2019 p. 46-50, https://doi.org/10.4095/314915  Open Access |
| Year | 2019 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English; French |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is contained in Public presentations of May
21st, 2019: Environmental Geoscience Program, current status of research projects for the 2019-2024 program cycle |
| Related | This publication is related to Environmental impacts of
permafrost degradation |
| File format | pdf (Adobe® Reader®) |
| Province | Canada; British Columbia; Alberta; Saskatchewan; Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Yukon; Nunavut;
Canada |
| NTS | 1; 2; 3; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 62; 63; 64; 65;
66; 67; 68; 69; 72; 73; 74; 75; 76; 77; 78; 79; 82; 83; 84; 85; 86; 87; 88; 89; 92; 93; 94; 95; 96; 97; 98; 99; 102; 103; 104; 105; 106; 107; 114O; 114P; 115; 116; 117; 120; 340; 560 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -141.0000 -50.0000 90.0000 41.7500 |
| Subjects | environmental geology; hydrogeology; surficial geology/geomorphology; geophysics; geochemistry; Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; Government and Politics; Health and Safety; environmental
studies; environmental impacts; permafrost; ground ice; temperature; ground temperatures; pollutants; methane; heavy metals contamination; mercury; organic carbon; microorganisms; fluid migration; fluid flow; climate; sampling techniques; health
hazards; Environmental Geoscience Program (EGP); cumulative effects; Climate change; environmental baseline studies; Methodology; monitoring; Environmental impact assessment |
| Illustrations | geoscientific sketch maps |
| Program | Environmental
Geoscience Program Management |
| Released | 2019 10 10 |
| Abstract | Permafrost underlies approximately 50% of the Canadian landmass and is found in offshore areas beneath the Arctic shelf. Permafrost is warming at depth through taliks, along faults and methane leakage
maybe enhanced from historical exploration wells and is also degrading in some areas as the surface active layer is thickening. As permafrost warms and degrades, contaminants including heavy metals, trapped greenhouse gases and saline pore fluids are
being naturally released into the environment and the liberation of organic carbon through permafrost degradation stimulates microbial activity. Recent estimates also suggest that permafrost represents the largest global reservoir of mercury, with
active pathways for migration and uptake in the food web. This project is striving to assess the environmental implications of warming terrestrial, coastal and offshore permafrost and therefore provide a baseline to better appraise the environmental
consequences of resource development. Active permafrost-related geological processes and their impacts on the environment will be assessed using a broad and various suit of geophysical, sampling and monitoring techniques. Key outcomes will include;
1) improved and adapted environmental practices for resource development projects in permafrost settings allowing industry to follow safer and more cost efficient practices and regulators to better appraise development projects, 2) improved
environmental assessment of cumulative effects of resource development, and 3) assessment of permafrost environmental considerations within the broad context of human health. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
This presentation was an introduction about the research that will be undertaken over the next 5 years under the Environmental Geoscience Program. The
goal is to distinguish the environmental effects of natural resources development of those from natural processes. This new phase of research will be looking at marine spills, Canada's largest watershed, permafrost geochemistry, volcanic mercury
contribution, mining impacted watersheds, assessments of aquifers, diluted bitumen and permafrost degradation. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 314915 |
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