Rapid landscape evolution at the permafrost-glacier interface

永久冻土-冰川界面的快速景观演化

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-04135
• 负责人: Moorman, Brian
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=710897
• 关键词: Rapid; landscape; evolution; permafrost; glacier

Permafrost underlies a large portion of Canada's landscape and in some locations, massive amounts of ice have been preserved for thousands of years. However, much of the permafrost in Canada is thawing, resulting in the melt-out of ground ice and dramatic alterations to the landscape and overall terrestrial environment. This is resulting in a step change (a tipping point) in the rate and character of landscape evolution - something seldom taken into account in the climate change impact predictions due to its complexity. It is most obvious in the Arctic where glaciers are rapidly retreating, producing large volumes of melt water impacting the frozen ground and massive buried ice surrounding the glaciers. The result is an environment which is changing in ways we have not witnessed before. Four interrelated projects designed to better understand the changes occurring are: Remote Sensing innovations for measuring the glaciers and permafrost Recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) hardware has resulted in UAVs now being effective platforms for carrying small remote sensing sensors. This project will include; a) testing the impact of flight parameters on ultimate data resolution, b) determining the effectiveness of using a combination of optical and thermal imagery to quantify ground surface characteristics, and c) developing an algorithm to quantify the accumulation of sediment on the surface of a glacier as the glacier retreats. Glacier-permafrost hydrodynamics This project will measure water storage and flow through an arctic glacier. Specifically, the hydrological processes that are producing large outburst floods, ephemeral fountains emerging from the glacier and outwash plain will be measured. These phenomena are indicators of the rapidly changing system. To be able to predict how the system will react to further changes, we first need to understand how and where these processes are operating. Ice burial processes, stability and permafrost dynamics This project will measure fluvial and thermal erosion of permafrost and ground ice. Once permafrost reaches the melting point a step change in the rate of landscape evolution occurs. We will determine how significant of a contributor this step change is in changing the landscape. Extrapolating processes to system dynamics Using existing and new satellite data, step changes in landscape evolution will be modeled over the large scale. This kind of data fusion and process up-scaling will result in a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the changes underway in the broader arctic environment. The results of this research program will make contributions to our understanding of the arctic environment, how it is currently changing and the impact climate change will have in the near and extended future. Graduate and undergraduate students will be an integral part of this research, resulting in the training of 15 highly qualified personnel.

多年冻土是加拿大景观中很大一部分的基础，在某些地方，已经保存了数千年的冰。但是，加拿大多年冻土的大部分是融化，导致地面冰的融化以及对景观和整体陆地环境的巨大改变。这导致了景观演化的速率和特征的阶跃变化（临界点） - 由于其复杂性而导致的气候变化影响预测很少考虑到这一点。在北极最明显的地方，冰川正在迅速退缩，产生大量的熔融水，影响冰冻的冰冻地面和冰川周围的大量埋水。结果是一个我们以前从未见过的方式发生了变化。旨在更好地了解发生的变化的四个相互关联的项目是： 遥感创新，用于测量冰川和多年冻土 无人机（UAV）硬件的最新进展导致无人机现在是携带小型遥感传感器的有效平台。该项目将包括； a）测试飞行参数对最终数据分辨率的影响，b）确定使用光学和热图像组合来量化地面特征的有效性，以及c）开发一种算法来量化沉积物在冰川静修中的冰川表面积累。 冰川 - 弗罗斯特流体动力学 该项目将测量储水并流过北极冰川。具体而言，将测量正在产生巨大爆发洪水的水文过程，冰川和冲洗平原出现的短暂喷泉。这些现象是快速变化系统的指标。为了能够预测系统将如何对进一步的变化做出反应，我们首先需要了解这些过程的运行方式和何处。 冰埋葬过程，稳定性和多年冻土动力学 该项目将测量多年冻土和地面冰的河流和热侵蚀。一旦多年冻土达到熔点，就会发生景观演化速率的步骤变化。我们将确定此步骤变化在改变景观方面的重要性。 将过程推送到系统动力学 使用现有和新的卫星数据，将大规模建模景观演化的步骤变化。这种数据融合和流程上的缩放将使对更广泛的北极环境中的变化有更准确，更全面的了解。 该研究计划的结果将为我们对北极环境的理解，目前的变化以及气候变化的影响在近乎和延伸的未来所产生的贡献。研究生和本科生将成为这项研究不可或缺的一部分，从而培训了15名高素质的人员。