68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

CRYOFACIES AND CRYOSTRUCTURES OF MASSIVE ICE FOUND ON BYLOT ISLAND, NUNAVUT

Stephanie Coulombe, Département de Géographie - Université de Montréal (Canada)
Daniel Fortier, Département de Géographie - Université de Montréal (Canada)
Yuri Shur, Institute of Northern Engineering - University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Mikhail Kanevskiy, Institute of Northern Engineering - University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)
Denis Lacelle, Department of Geography - University of Ottawa (Canada)

Permafrost can contain massive ground ice of different origin. Identifying the origin and nature of massive ice is a challenge for permafrost science since the different types of massive ice remain difficult to distinguish on the sole basis of field observations. This paper uses different approaches to accurately characterize a massive ground-ice exposure observed on Bylot Island (Nunavut) in order to highlight its origin. Combined with the analysis of the ice crystallography, the massive-ice cores were described according to the cryostratigraphic approach. These techniques allowed for detailed descriptions of the stratigraphy, the ice crystals (shape, size, orientation) and patterns of gas/sediment inclusions. Our results suggest that the massive ice body is best interpreted as buried ice of glacial origin.