Integrated studies on soil-structure-climate interactions in susceptible environments to limit effects of climate change on at-risk Canadian infrastructure

2016年是有记录以来最热的一年，此前在2014年和2015年创下了气温纪录。事实上，全球最大的20个温度异常完全来自过去22年。气候变化的影响是全球气温升高，以及干旱和雨季等极端天气事件发生的频率更高。就地区而言，加拿大的北极经历放大了温度异常，2016年温度异常高达4摄氏度。从1948年到2009年，加拿大的平均降雨量也增加了近20%。加拿大特别容易受到气候变化的影响，因为我们的北极和土壤活性特别不稳定的地区。在北极，自1968年以来，海冰覆盖一直在减少，自1972年以来，积雪覆盖一直在减少。在草原上，膨胀的土壤会随着湿干循环的增加而发生反应，从而破坏线性基础设施和建筑物。在这两个地区，土壤-气候相互作用会对基础设施造成破坏。气候变化驱动的永久冻土退化会对什么产生影响？北部的所有基础设施，包括住宅、商业建筑、加拿大的国防系统、机场、冬季和全天候公路、铁路和管道，都是在永久冻土中建造的。旱期和雨期频率增加会对哪些方面产生影响？大草原上数千公里的公路、铁路和管道以及住宅、商业和政府建筑。不幸的是，这些基础设施中的大部分都没有考虑到气候变化的影响。加拿大政府应该领导评估、准备和采取行动应对气候变化的努力。然而，19个联邦部门中有14个没有完全评估气候变化的风险，这使得联邦政府660亿美元的资产中有很大一部分面临风险。气候变化驱动的永久冻土退化和干湿事件增多的破坏性影响将影响加拿大社会、北极的可持续生活、政府基础设施、经济增长、资源开发和加拿大的国防系统。西门子博士将使用一种综合的现场-实验-计算方法来研究、调查并为加拿大人提供这些紧迫而重要的问题的解决方案：面对气候变化驱动的永久冻土退化，北极基础设施如何保持可持续？如何延长在膨胀土壤中建造的基础设施的使用寿命，以抵御气候变化的影响？这笔赠款将支持6名博士生进行现场-实验-计算综合研究，以评估气候变化对处于危险中的基础设施的影响，并设计可持续发展战略来缓解气候变化的影响。

2016 was the hottest year on record following on previous temperature records set in 2014 and 2015. In fact, the top 20 global temperature anomalies are entirely from the last 22 years. Climate change has the effect of increased global temperatures as well as a higher frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts and wet periods. Regionally, Canada's arctic experiences amplified temperature anomalies, which were as high as 4oC in 2016. Mean precipitation across Canada has also increased almost 20% from 1948 to 2009. Canada is especially susceptible to the effects of climate change with our Arctic and areas with reactive soils in particularly precarious positions. In the Arctic, sea ice cover has been decreasing since 1968 and snow cover since 1972. In the prairies, expansive soils react with increased wetting and drying cycles to damage linear infrastructure and buildings. In both areas, soil-climate interactions cause damage to infrastructure. What is affected by climate change-driven permafrost degradation? All infrastructure in the north including residences, commercial buildings, Canada's defence systems, airports, winter and all-weather roads, railways, and pipelines, which are constructed in permafrost. What is affected by increased frequency of drought and wet periods? Thousands of kilometers of roads, rail, and pipelines as well as residential, commercial and government buildings in the Prairies. Unfortunately, the majority of this infrastructure has not been designed to account for climate change effects. The Canadian Government should be leading the efforts to assess, prepare, and act on climate change. However, 14 out of 19 federal departments have not fully assessed the risks of climate change leaving much of the federal government's $66 billion of assets at risk. The devastating effects of climate change-driven permafrost degradation and increased wet-dry events will affect Canadian society, sustainable life in the arctic, government infrastructure, economic growth, resource development, and Canada's defence systems. Dr Siemens will use an integrated field-experimental-computational approach to examine, investigate, and provide solutions for these urgent and important questions for Canadians:How will arctic infrastructure remain sustainable in the face of climate change-driven permafrost degradation?How can the service life of infrastructure constructed in expansive soils be extended to survive climate change effects?This grant will support 6 Phd Students to perform integrated field-experimental-computational studies to assess the impact of climate change on at-risk infrastructure and to devise sustainability strategies to mitigate climate change effects.