Permafrost in Nunavik

Permafrost in Nunavik Permafrost is any soil or rock whose temperature has remained below 0°C for years. In the extreme north of Quebec, it is omnipresent and very thick. At its boreal margin, further south, it appears in the landscape in the form of isolated thin plates, whose thickness is generally less than 10 m. Permafrost contains ice in various forms, whose origin is closely linked to the sedimentary characteristics and drainage conditions of the land. The mapping of permafrost conditions for Nunavik (territory located north of the 55th parallel), carried out by the Center for Nordic Studies at Laval University, was done by applying a simple model called TTOP (Temperature at the Top Of Permafrost) for the period from 2000 to 2016. Model results are presented in the form of a raster file that illustrates the distribution of continuous, discontinuous, and sporadic permafrost, as well as isolated islands. Under the effect of global warming or poorly adapted human activities, permafrost heats up or even thaws, which leads to settlements and ground movements affecting ecosystems as well as infrastructures. Thus, the susceptibility of the territory to thermokarstic subsidence was evaluated for the same territory taking into account the ice content and the temperature at the top of the permafrost. A matrix file (raster) of the susceptibility of the territory to ground subsidence associated with permafrost thaw presents three susceptibility classes (high, moderate, and low) as well as areas generally without permafrost.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).** 2025-02-05 Government and Municipalities of Québec renseignements@mrnf.gouv.qc.ca Form DescriptorsNature and EnvironmentScience and Technology Permafrost distributionGeoTIF https://diffusion.mffp.gouv.qc.ca/Diffusion/DonneeGratuite/Foret/DONNEES_FOR_ECO_NORD/Pergelisol/DistributionPergelisol.zip Susceptibility to subsidence associated with permafrost thawingGeoTIF https://diffusion.mffp.gouv.qc.ca/Diffusion/DonneeGratuite/Foret/DONNEES_FOR_ECO_NORD/Pergelisol/SusceptibiliteAffaissementsDegelPergelisol.zip Open forestHTML https://www.foretouverte.gouv.qc.ca/?context=_carte_nord&zoom=6¢er=-72.14338,59.03086&invisiblelayers=*&visiblelayers=0fbef13a12f65237072417fa0236cc94,1da64ddfeaf23710b8a9ad95133fb5d8 Open forestHTML https://www.foretouverte.gouv.qc.ca/?context=_telechargement&zoom=6¢er=-72.11261,57.91184&invisiblelayers=*&visiblelayers=634387214b14c87b4f78d72d2717829f,1da64ddfeaf23710b8a9ad95133fb5d8 Original metadata (https://www.donneesquebec.ca)HTML https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/fr/dataset/ac5d0559-d47c-432b-905a-d69d9d71b2a5 READ MEPDF https://diffusion.mffp.gouv.qc.ca/Diffusion/DonneeGratuite/Foret/DONNEES_FOR_ECO_NORD/Pergelisol/1-Documentation/LISEZ-MOI_pergelisol.PDF Map of permafrost in Northern QuebecPDF https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/documents/forets/inventaire/Carte_24x36_pergelisol.pdf Susceptibility to subsidence associated with permafrost thawingPDF https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/documents/forets/inventaire/Carte_24x36_affaissements.pdf Production of the 2nd approximation of the permafrost map of Quebec according to geomorphological and ecological parameters and physical processes related to climatePDF https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/documents/forets/inventaire/Production_2e_appro_pergelisol.pdf Determination and analysis of vulnerabilities in Nunavik based on environmental components and natural physical processes related to climate: Phase 1PDF https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/documents/forets/inventaire/CEN-MFFP_Rapport.pdf Fact sheet of attributes and their areas of valueXLS https://diffusion.mffp.gouv.qc.ca/Diffusion/DonneeGratuite/Foret/DONNEES_FOR_ECO_NORD/Pergelisol/1-Documentation/DICTIONNAIRE_CARTE_PERG_SUSCEPT_AFF.xlsx

Permafrost is any soil or rock whose temperature has remained below 0°C for years. In the extreme north of Quebec, it is omnipresent and very thick. At its boreal margin, further south, it appears in the landscape in the form of isolated thin plates, whose thickness is generally less than 10 m. Permafrost contains ice in various forms, whose origin is closely linked to the sedimentary characteristics and drainage conditions of the land. The mapping of permafrost conditions for Nunavik (territory located north of the 55th parallel), carried out by the Center for Nordic Studies at Laval University, was done by applying a simple model called TTOP (Temperature at the Top Of Permafrost) for the period from 2000 to 2016. Model results are presented in the form of a raster file that illustrates the distribution of continuous, discontinuous, and sporadic permafrost, as well as isolated islands. Under the effect of global warming or poorly adapted human activities, permafrost heats up or even thaws, which leads to settlements and ground movements affecting ecosystems as well as infrastructures. Thus, the susceptibility of the territory to thermokarstic subsidence was evaluated for the same territory taking into account the ice content and the temperature at the top of the permafrost. A matrix file (raster) of the susceptibility of the territory to ground subsidence associated with permafrost thaw presents three susceptibility classes (high, moderate, and low) as well as areas generally without permafrost.This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).

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