Study will Examine Permafrost Thaw at Nunavut Airports

A research project will look at how quickly permafrost is thawing at airports in 16 Nunavut communities, according to Nunatsiaq News. The project, largely funded by the federal government and led by the Government of Nunavut, will collect ground temperatures up to 15 metres deep.

Pangnirtung and Rankin Inlet will be focuses of the project because new airport infrastructure is being planned for both communities. Thawing permafrost can cause the foundations of buildings to sink and make roads and runways heave and buckle.

Transport Canada will fund up to $349,000 of the research project, while the Government of Nunavut will provide $116,335 as part of the Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative, which was created by Transport Canada to help communities across the North adapt transportation systems to climate change.