| Title | Permafrost-related landforms and geotechnical data compilation, Yellowknife to Grays Bay corridor region, Slave Geological Province |
| Download | Downloads |
| |
| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | Morse, P D ;
Parker, R J H; Smith, S L; Sladen, W E |
| Source | Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8986, 2023, 41 pages, https://doi.org/10.4095/332017  Open Access |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2023 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | open file |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | digital; on-line |
| Related | NRCan photo(s) in this
publication |
| File format | readme
|
| File format | pdf; rtf; docx; xlsx; cpg; dbf; prj; sbn |
| Province | Northwest Territories; Nunavut |
| NTS | 75L; 75K; 75M; 75N; 85I; 85J; 85K; 85N; 85O; 85P; 76C; 76D; 76E; 76F; 76K; 76L; 76M; 76N; 86A; 86B; 86C; 86F; 86G; 86H; 86I; 86J; 86K; 86N; 86O; 86P |
| Lat/Long WENS | -118.0000 -108.0000 68.0000 62.0000 |
| Subjects | surficial geology/geomorphology; sedimentology; permafrost; landforms; satellite imagery; climate effects; Slave Province; Climate change impacts |
| Illustrations | location maps; tables; photographs; graphs |
| Program | Climate Change
Geoscience Permafrost |
| Program | GEM-GeoNorth: Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Permafrost Geoscience |
| Released | 2023 08 01 |
| Abstract | Permafrost conditions in the Slave Geological province are not well understood. Thaw of permafrost and associated ground ice can reduce ground stability, which modifies terrain and drainage patterns and
affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This presents critical challenges to northern resource development and societies where thaw of ice-rich permafrost negatively affects the integrity of ground-based infrastructure. In an effort to address
this knowledge gap, this report presents a digital georeferenced database of landforms identified in permafrost terrain using high-resolution satellite imagery and provides information on geomorphic indicators of ground ice presence and thaw
susceptibility. Digital georeferenced databases compiled from sedimentological and cryostratigraphic records are also provided. The landform database is focused on mapping within a 10 km-wide swath of land (8576 km2 area of interest) centred on the
proposed corridors for the 773 km-long Slave Geological Province Corridor Project, NT, and the Grays Bay Road and Port Project, NU. The geomorphic features were classified and digitized using high-resolution (0.5 m) satellite imagery following an
existing protocol, which was modified by using a very high-resolution (2 m) digital elevation model (DEM), and by including mapping criteria for additional features. A total of 1393 geomorphic features were mapped comprising 10 different types, which
were categorized into 3 classes that include periglacial (1291), hydrological (88), and mass movement (14) features. Data from 254 geotechnical boreholes and 2243 granular deposits were compiled. Information from the compiled databases was analyzed
with surficial geology information. Results indicate that the distributions and densities of mapped landforms varied substantially according to surficial geology. High ground ice contents may be quite common in glaciofluvial deposits where creep of
frozen ground affects about 30% of eskers. And ground ice may be more extensive overall than the available geotechnical data indicate. Borehole and granular deposit data suggest that overburden thickness above bedrock was up to 25.5 m, and visible
ground ice contents were generally between 10% and 30%, but were up to 60% in glacial blanket and glaciofluvial sediments. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Permafrost conditions in the Slave Geological province are not well understood. Thaw of permafrost and associated ground ice can reduce ground stability,
modify terrain, and reconfigure drainage patterns affecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and presenting challenges to northern infrastructure and societies. The proposed corridors for the Slave Geological Province Road, NT, and the Grays Bay
Road and Port Project, NU crosses variety of surficial geology terrain units in the central Slave Geological Province, where variation in climate, relief, ecology, and disturbance have produced variety periglacial conditions. This Geological Survey
of Canada Open File presents a spatial database of landforms identified in permafrost terrain along this corridor, as well as databases of georeferenced data compiled from geotechnical reposts on the region that are not widely available and are in
printed form. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 332017 |
|
|