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: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=678853
• 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.

永久冻土是加拿大大部分景观的基础，在某些地方，大量的冰已经保存了数千年。然而，加拿大的大部分永久冻土正在融化，导致地面冰融化，景观和整体陆地环境发生巨大变化。这导致景观演变的速度和特征发生阶跃变化（一个临界点）-由于其复杂性，在气候变化影响预测中很少考虑到这一点。这在北极最为明显，那里的冰川正在迅速退缩，产生大量的融水，冲击着冻土和冰川周围的大量埋藏冰。其结果是，环境正在以我们以前从未见过的方式发生变化。为更好地了解正在发生的变化而设计的四个相互关联的项目是：* 测量冰川和永久冻土的遥感创新 * 无人机硬件的最新进展使无人机现在成为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）确定结合使用光学和热成像来量化地面特征的有效性，以及c）开发一种算法来量化冰川退缩时冰川表面沉积物的积累。* 冰川-永久冻土流体动力学 * 该项目将测量北极冰川的水储存和流量。具体而言，水文过程，产生大的突发洪水，短暂的喷泉出现在冰川和冰水平原将被测量。这些现象是快速变化的系统的指标。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是如何以及在哪里运行的。* 冰埋过程、稳定性和永久冻土动态 * 本项目将测量永久冻土和地面冰的河流侵蚀和热侵蚀。一旦永久冻土达到熔点，景观演变的速度就会发生阶跃变化。我们将确定这一步变化在改变景观方面的贡献有多大。*** 利用现有和新的卫星数据，将在大尺度上模拟景观演变的阶跃变化。这种数据融合和过程升级将导致更准确和全面地了解更广泛的北极环境中正在发生的变化。这项研究计划的结果将有助于我们了解北极环境，它目前是如何变化的，以及气候变化在不久的将来和更长的将来将产生的影响。研究生和本科生将是这项研究的一个组成部分，导致15个高素质的人才的培训。