68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

GROUND ICE DETERMINATIONS ALONG THE YUKON COAST USING A MORPHOLOGICAL MODEL

Nicole Couture, Geological Survey of Canada - Natural Resources Canada (Canada)
Wayne Pollard, McGill University (Canada)

Permafrost in the Canadian western Arctic contains large amounts of ground ice and a geomorphological model is used to estimate ground ice content. The Yukon coastline was divided into 44 different terrain units based on geology, coastal morphology, and the presence of different types of ground ice. The overall volume of ground ice within a terrain unit was assessed based on the stratigraphic relationships between different ice types. Ice volumes in the various terrain units ranged from 0 to 74% and were a function of surficial material. Across the entire study area, ground ice accounts for 46% by volume of all earth materials. Pore ice and thin segregated lenses account for 76% of the total ground ice, massive ice accounts for 21%, and wedge ice for 3%.