Sustaining Infrastructure in Canada’s North
By Chantal Hunter
March 2013
Scientists are assessing the effects of climate change on infrastructure in Canada’s north and helping to develop adaptation strategies to further resource development.
Mineral exploration in Canada’s north is reaching unprecedented levels. However, getting to resource deposits is not easy: ice roads, snow cover, and straights impassible in winter are just some of the north’s unique logistical challenges. In a landscape already difficult to navigate, factors created by a warming climate are further impacting the infrastructure required for development.
Researchers with Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan’s) Climate Change Geoscience Program (CCGP) are working with their territorial and industry colleagues to help northerners adapt. Using geoscientific expertise, scientists are helping reduce risk to and develop adaptation solutions for land-based and coastal transportation infrastructure.
Reducing Land Transportation Risks
Factors such as permafrost thaw and soil erosion affect the safety and sustainability of infrastructure vital for transporting both supplies and people. For instance, warming that causes permafrost thaw under a road can make the it unstable and subject to collapse.
A “winter” road that leads to diamond mines north of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NT) provides a concrete example. The road is built each winter over permafrost, frozen lakes and land portages, and was subject to unseasonably warm temperatures in 2006. This led to deteriorating road conditions, prompting a premature road closure for trucks hauling fuel and goods to the remote camps.
Specialized maps are now being developed along existing and proposed road corridors to provide land-based alternatives to ice-road sections.
The Science of Northern Roads
Scientists are using a range of geoscience data to assess the alternatives. This includes ecological and surficial sediment mapping to identify permafrost terrain and potentially ice-rich materials. Additionally, remote sensing of lake-ice thickness and ground settlement is being undertaken to identify potential hazards. These initiatives are being supported by field validations, geophysical surveys and permafrost measurements.
Larger imageAbandoned section of NWT highway 4, east of Yellowknife, being examined for damage caused by permafrost thaw.
To date, much of the potentially unstable clay terrain in the Yellowknife region has been mapped and specific ice-rich terrain, which can pose hazards to road routings, identified. Avoidance of this type of terrain will help reduce road instabilities. With this baseline knowledge in hand, the next priority for scientists is to understand how the permafrost and related processes may change with a changing climate, and how this can impact road infrastructure.
“The data gathered and maps produced from this project will provide more assurance for both industry and investors,” says Steve Wolfe, CCGP Research Scientist. “It will also benefit existing communities by proposing adaptation measures for existing northern roads.”
Assessing Other Geographic Features
Permafrost is but one of the geographic features scientists are examining. Coastline characteristics are shifting as well, and scientists have begun mapping and assessing regions with existing and potential coastal infrastructure. Additionally, monitoring and assessment of glacier masses and snow cover are factors being examined.
“Climate change is leading to important changes in Canada’s north including the reduction of sea ice cover, glacier masses and snow cover,” says Réjean Couture, Sub-Division Head, CCGP. “NRCan, with its territorial and industry partners, is working to reduce the risks to existing infrastructure and recommend safer alternatives for future development projects.”
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