Project for mitigating permafrost degradation

NRC researchers have designed and are testing a freezing system to reduce permafrost degradation in the Arctic.

Objectives

• Design a system that effectively reduces permafrost degradation through inter-seasonal low temperatures redistribution

Deliverables

• An effective cooling device to reduce permafrost degradation by removing heat during summer months and accumulating cold during winter months

Activities

• Conduct field tests on an NRC-designed cooling method that uses a liquid-filled freezing system with a snow-deflecting cone to stabilize permafrost degradation in saturated peat in Arctic climates

Collaborators

• Wilfrid Laurier University

Results

• This method will provide direct and reliable cooling effects that stabilize ice rich soils, moderate surface settling and cool down advective heat transfer through active layer by groundwater
• By removing heat in summer and accumulating cold in winter, this project will help sustain frozen ground temperatures within a specific area and distribute low ground temperatures along highway embankments, building foundations or other critical localized areas, mitigating the degradation of permafrost and its impacts on infrastructure

Project team

Igor Egorov