Groundwater flow dynamics in cold environments under a changing climate

地下水是许多加拿大人的重要淡水来源。在北方环境中，地下水稀缺，因为它大多冻结在永久冻土中，不能随时用于供水。由于气候变化和相关的气温上升，永久冻土正在全球范围内融化。 其结果是，水被释放，地下水可能成为一种重要的新资源，因为它通常比地表水更安全、更可靠、更便宜，而地表水是加拿大北方社区最常见的饮用水来源。在加拿大南部和世界其他地方，现有的地下水资源大部分是数千年前在寒冷的环境中沉积的。这些沃茨中的一部分起源于大约21，000年前覆盖北方大部分地区的冰盖融化。在爱沙尼亚等地，冰川形成的地下水是不可再生淡水的重要来源。要对这些资源进行健全和可持续的管理，就必须对它们的来源和范围以及作用于它们的驱动力有良好的科学认识。数值模型是可用于此目的的强大工具。在这项研究计划中，将使用复杂的数值模型，预测气候变化下寒冷环境中的地下水流动动态和可用性，并通过实地观察进行验证。研究将在努纳维克的两个研究中心（Umiujaq和萨卢伊特）沿着在魁北克南部和爱沙尼亚的另外两个研究中心进行。这项研究将包括实地实验和模拟过去和未来气候变化情景下的地下水流和温度，时间尺度从100年到100 000年不等。在这个项目中进行的研究将提供有关北方环境地下水资源的性质和演变的基本知识。这将有助于北方的发展，加强加拿大适应不断变化的环境条件的能力，因为这些条件影响地下水资源。该研究提案还涉及与冰川融水的命运和应对气候变化的永久冻土退化率有关的关键科学问题。

Groundwater is an important source of freshwater for many Canadians. In northern environments, groundwater is scarce as it is mostly frozen within permafrost and cannot be readily used for water supply. As a consequence of climate change and associated increases in air temperatures, permafrost is thawing on a global scale. The consequence is that water is released and groundwater may become an important new resource as it is generally safer, more reliable and less expensive than surface water, which is the most common source of drinking water for communities in northern Canada. In southern Canada and elsewhere in the world, much of the existing groundwater resources were emplaced thousands of years ago in colder environments. Some of these waters originated from the melting of ice sheets that covered extensive parts of the northern hemisphere landscape about 21,000 years ago. In some locations like Estonia, groundwater of glacial origin is an important source of non-renewable freshwater.***The sound and sustainable management of these resources requires a good scientific understanding of their origin and extent, as well as the driving forces acting on them. Numerical models are powerful tools that can be used for this purpose. In this research program, complex numerical models that enable predicting groundwater flow dynamics and availability in cold environments under a changing climate will be used and validated with field observations. The research will be conducted at two sites located in Nunavik (Umiujaq and Salluit) along with two other sites located in southern Québec and Estonia. The research will include field experiments and simulation of groundwater flow and temperature under past and future climate change scenarios at time scales ranging from 100 to 100,000 yrs.***The research conducted in this program will provide fundamental knowledge about the nature and evolution of groundwater resources in northern environments. This will contribute to northern development by strengthening Canada's ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions as they affect groundwater resources. The research proposal also addresses key scientific questions pertaining to the fate of glacial meltwaters and rates of permafrost degradation in response to climate change.***********