Channelization of an Arid Permafrost Landscape: Observations and Synthesis

Thursday, February 16, 2023

El dilluns 27 de febrer, a l'aula D2-216, de 9:30h a 10:30h s'impartirà el seminari de recerca: "Channelization of an Arid Permafrost Landscape: Observations and Synthesis", a càrrec de Shawn Chartrand, Assistant Professor, geophysical and environmental scientist, School of Environmental Science, Simon Fraser University (Canada). His research focuses on how rivers form and co-evolve with landscapes, with particular interest in mountain rivers and cold regions of the Arctic.

 

Organitza: Carles Ferrer BoixCentre de Recerca Aplicada en Hidrometeorologia (CRAHI)

Channelization of an Arid Permafrost Landscape: Observations and Synthesis.

Arctic landscapes are undergoing rapid environmental change due to a warming climate. Expansion of existing channel networks and gullies has previously been attributed to thermal erosion of permafrost. Here, we examine channelization at the drainage basin scale, using a ground-based high resolution 3D LiDAR survey, combined with historical aerial imagery of Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Observations suggest that landscape channelization occurs through a variety of processes, not simply thermokarst erosion. In this talk we will begin to outline a path forward to advance the understanding of channelization in cold regions, which includes the development of new understanding at the intersection of fluvial and cryospheric sciences.