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Nunavut study looks at permafrost thaw in a coupled ground water-flow and heat-transport system

Iqaluit, Nunavut – A new University of Laval study uses numerical simulations of ground water flow and heat transport to provide insight into the interaction between shallow ground water flow and thermal dynamics related to permafrost thaw and thaw settlement at the Iqaluit Airport taxiway in Nunavut.

Under the warmest climate-warming scenario with an average annual temperature increase of 3.23 C for the period of 2011–2100, the simulations suggest that the maximum depth of the active layer will increase from 2 m in 2012 to 8.8 m in 2100 and, over the same time period, thaw settlement along the airport taxiway will increase from 0.11 m to at least 0.17 m.

Read the full abstract.