68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

METADATA TEMPLATE FOR GROUND TEMPERATURE RECORDS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Session: Permafrost Considerations in Design / Pergélisol et conception en milieu nordique

Kumari Karunaratne, Northwest Territories Geological Survey (Canada)
Steven Kokelj, Northwest Territories Geological Survey (Canada)
Michael Palmer, Cumulative Impact Monitoring Board, Government of the Northwest Territories (Canada)
Stephen Wolfe, Geological Survey of Canada (Canada)
Stephan Gruber, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University (Canada)

In northern Canada, ground temperatures are measured for a number of reasons including permafrost research and infrastructure development. A template for reporting metadata on ground temperature datasets will allow data to be easily shared between various users, and is a necessary step towards a permafrost database. We outline a metadata template for ground temperature measurements developed through collaboration with both users and collectors of ground temperature measurements. Our collaborators are typically involved with: permafrost research and modelling, geotechnical engineering, and infrastructure performance monitoring. Our metadata template is divided into seven sections: (1) Project Details; (2) Location of Ground Temperature Measurements; (3) Installation of Ground Temperature Cable; (4) Ground Temperature Record; (5) Site Conditions; (6) Permafrost Conditions; and (7) Related Publications and Data.