Hydrological impacts of seismic lines in the wetland-dominated zone of thawing, discontinuous permafrost, Northwest Territories, Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (15) ◽  
pp. 2617-2627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Braverman ◽  
William L. Quinton
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Hydrological Impacts ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost ◽  
Seismic Lines

Right-of-Way and Pipeline Monitoring in Permafrost: The Norman Wells Pipeline Experience

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick M. Doblanko ◽  
James M. Oswell ◽  
Alan J. Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Joint Research ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Right Of Way ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost ◽  
The Government ◽  
Government Of Canada

Enbridge Pipelines (NW) Inc. (Enbridge) owns and operates a 323.9 mm outside diameter crude oil pipeline from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada to Zama, Alberta, Canada (Norman Wells Pipeline). The first of its kind in North America, this pipeline, completely buried in discontinuous permafrost, is approximately 869 kilometres in length. The pipeline, designed to operate at ambient temperatures, was constructed during the winter seasons of 1983–1984 and 1984–1985 and began operations in April 1985. Enbridge (formerly Interprovincial Pipe Line (NW) Ltd.), under various regulatory terms and conditions, is required to monitor and report the effects of pipeline construction and operations associated with the environment and right-of-way. The company has been an active participant in joint research and monitoring working groups consisting of various departments of the Government of Canada, Government of Northwest Territories, and other agencies. Over the past seventeen years, Enbridge has developed a monitoring and surveillance program that ensures the safe operation of the pipeline and protection of the environment. Any significant issues arising from the monitoring program result in mitigative actions based on engineering assessments. Furthermore, Enbridge is mandated to inform the appropriate agencies of issues resulting from the monitoring program. This paper will focus on the terrain and geotechnical monitoring programs initiated by Enbridge over its years of operation of this pipeline and will discuss topics including operations and maintenance activities key to pipelines installed in discontinuous permafrost, condition of the pipeline, and the on-going terrain and slope monitoring program.

scholarly journals Additions to the boreal flora of the Northwest Territories with a preliminary vascular flora of Scotty Creek

2016 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Ève Garon-Labrecque ◽  
Étienne Léveillé-Bourret ◽  
Kellina Higgins ◽  
Oliver Sonnentag
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
North American ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Organic Soil ◽  
Vascular Flora ◽  
Alkaline Rocks ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost

We present the first survey of the vascular flora of Scotty Creek, a peatland-dominated watershed with discontinuous permafrost about 60 km south of Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories (NWT). Of the 140 vascular plant taxa found at Scotty Creek, two are additions to the boreal flora of NWT: Arethusa bulbosa (Dragon’s-mouth, Orchidaceae) and Carex pauciflora (Few-flowered Sedge, Cyperaceae). The occurrence of Arethusa bulbosa extends the known range of this species 724 km to the northwest, making this purportedly eastern American plant almost pan-Canadian. Two other major range extensions (> 200 km) are reported for Carex brunnescens subsp. sphaerostachya (Round-spike Brownish Sedge) and Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata (Tall White Bog Orchid). Furthermore, 15 other rare NWT species are reported, including three species known from a single other locality in the NWT. The flora of Scotty Creek is dominated by circumpolar (55%) and widespread North American (34%) elements. Despite the absence of exposed alkaline rocks and the dominance of deep organic soil almost throughout Scotty Creek, a number of limeindicator plants were found in lakes and minerotrophic wetlands.

Carbon accumulation in peatlands, southwestern Northwest Territories, Canada

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 305-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen D. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
High Water ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Poor Fen ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Water Tables ◽  
Rate Of Decay ◽  
Northern Peatlands

Northern peatlands have stored significant quantities of carbon (C) since the early Holocene at rates that vary among peatland types. Pollen concentration dating was used to provide estimates o f true C accumulation and sequestration efficiency in different peatland systems in the discontinuous permafrost zone near Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada. The catotelm portions of bog, permafrost-affected peat plateau, and Sphagnum-dominated cores were interpreted to conform to Clymo’s (1984) model of C accumulation, while peat deposited under conditions with high water tables (rich fen and collapse fen) did not. The model assumes a consistent surface production, yet production in fens is thought to be highly sensitive to water table changes and may have contributed to poor model fits. Decay rates measured over the past 1200 yr range from 0.0015 to 0.0004 yr-1. True C accumulation rates (range 7.0 in peat plateau to 18.6 g C m-2 yr-1 in bog) and sequestration efficiencies (range 0.24 in peat plateau to 0.67 in poor fen) by 1200 yr BP were low in comparison with other North American sites. Decay rates measured over 1200 yr were significantly greater than that measured over the entire life span of the peatland (0.00033 yr-1), suggesting that a catotelm true C accumulation model incorporating a decreasing rate of decay would be more applicable. Key words: Carbon accumulation, peatlands, permafrost, northern Canada

scholarly journals Hydrometric measurements in peatland-dominated, discontinuous permafrost at Scotty Creek, Northwest Territories, Canada – Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN) Special Observation and Analysis Period (SOAP)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine M. Haynes ◽  
Ryan F. Connon ◽  
William L. Quinton
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Permafrost Region ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Cold Regions ◽  
Land Cover Types ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost

Abstract. The discontinuous permafrost region of northwestern Canada is experiencing rapid warming resulting in dramatic land cover change from forested permafrost terrain to treeless wetlands. Extensive research has been conducted throughout this region to gain insight into how climate-induced land cover change will impact water resources and ecosystem function. This paper presents a hydrological and micrometeorological dataset collected in the Scotty Creek basin, Northwest Territories, Canada over the course of the Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN) Special Observation and Analysis Period (SOAP) year of 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015. Micrometeorological data collected from four stations located in land cover types representative of those comprising the Scotty Creek basin, including bog, channel fen, stable peat plateau and peat plateau undergoing rapid permafrost degradation and loss are presented. Monitored micrometeorological variables include incoming and outgoing shortwave and longwave radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation (rain and snow) and snow depth. Deep ground temperatures (~ 1 to 10 m below the ground surface) from a channel fen as well as disturbed sites common to the basin including a seismic line and winter road are presented. Water levels were also monitored in the representative land cover types over this period. This dataset is available from the Wilfrid Laurier University Library Research Data Repository (https://doi.org/10.5683/SP/OQDRJG) and can be used in coordination with other hydrological and micrometeorological datasets, including those from the CCRN, to examine spatio-temporal effects of meteorological conditions on local hydrological responses across cold regions.

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