Hugues Lantuit IPA Secretariat IPA Standing Committee on Data, Information and Communication

International Permafrost Association

ipa-permafrost.orgipa-permafrost.org

Hugues LantuitIPA Secretariat

IPA Standing Committee on Data, Information and Communication



"If the permafrost in Russia completely melts,

it could completely transform the weather

patterns on the planet, in some cases in very dangerous ways"

Interview to ITAR-Tass, July 5, 2009Interview to ITAR-Tass, July 5, 2009


International Permafrost AssociationMonitoring Polar PermafrostMonitoring Polar Permafrost

• Observed Parameters– Temperatures in boreholes,

near-surface temperatures in the region (Thermal State of Permafrost, TSPTSP)

– Active Layer Thickness (Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring, CALMCALM)



Active layer measurements on CRREL plots starting in the 1960s and resumed in 1991. Data are from 1000 x 1000 m CALM grid on Barrow Environmental Observatory, Alaska. Supported by U.S. National Science Foundation, project #OPP-0352958.


International Permafrost AssociationObserved temperature evolution of Alaska’s permafrost Observed temperature evolution of Alaska’s permafrost

Temperatures at 20 m depth







0 1 2 3 m Borehole depth

Kapp LinnéKL-B-1 bedrock•30 m•Campbell instr. (±0.05°C)KL-B-2 sed./bedrock•38.8m•Campbell instr. (±0.05°C)KL-B-3 org./sed.•4 m•Geoprecision (±0.2°C)•KL.B-4 snow in sed.2.8mTinytags

Svea 15 m asl ice-cored moraineSV-B-1, SV-B-2, SV-B-4 & SV-B-5•8 m•Lakewood (±0.1°C)•Road construction project

Longyearbyen schoolSK-B-1•9.3 m•Geoprecision (±0.2°C)•EPSCoR school project

Gruvefjellet 450 m aslGF-B-1•5 m•Campbell instr. (±0.05°C)•Online data transfer

Larsbreen rock glacierLB-B-1•11.5 m•Geoprecision (±0.2°C)•Borehole deformation meas.

CO2-boreholesDh1-CO2-07 & Dh2-CO2-07•Logging 04-06 Dec 2007Dh4-CO2-09 Logging 10-10 Oct 2009•CO2-free Svalbard project

Janssonhaugen 270 m aslJA-B-1 & JA-B-2•PACE-project•102 m & 15 m •Campbell instr. (±0.05°C)

Innerhytte pingoIP-B-1•19.1 m•Geoprecision.(±0.2°C)

Snowpatch 10 m aslSN-B-1 thin snow•10 m•Geoprecision (±0.2°C)•Thin snowcoverSN-B-2 thick snow•5.4 m•Geoprecision (±0.2°C)•Thick snow cover (2-3 m)

UNISCALM 10 m aslAS-B-1•10 m•Tinytags (±0.2°C)AS-B-2•9.9 m•Geoprecision (±0.2°C)•TSP-PYRN

Endalen, solifluction 50 m aslEN-B-1•19.7 m•Campbell instr. (±0.05°C)•Online data transfer•TSP-PYRN

Longyeardalen and Adventdalen area

• Drilled and instrumented 15 new holes for thermal monitoring, in total 265.5 m• Borehole depths ranging from 4 to 90 m• Borehole logging in deep CO2 project boreholes to 800 m

Breinosa 677 m aslBN-B-110 mGeoPrecision

Lunckefjell, 900 m aslLF-B-190 m

TSP Svalbard:Nordenskiöldsland Permafrost Observatory, SvalbardTSP Svalbard:Nordenskiöldsland Permafrost Observatory, Svalbard


International Permafrost AssociationThermal snapshot 2008-2009 from continental and maritime Svalbard, different landformsThermal snapshot 2008-2009 from continental and maritime Svalbard, different landforms


International Permafrost AssociationOnline permafrost temperatures from two boreholes in SvalbardOnline permafrost temperatures from two boreholes in Svalbard

NORPERMNORPERM



NGU-boreholedatabase

Permafrost areaOverview information

Overview photographs

Boreholes Miniloggers

Photographs

Temperature - time series

Photographs

Temperature - time series

Temperature - depth series

NORPERM =The Norwegian Permafrost Database

NORPERM =The Norwegian Permafrost Database

ORACLE DATABASE

Geodatabase ArcSDE

Web map service (WMS)www.tspnorway.com

www.ngu.no

GTN-P

IPY

Map layers through Norway Digital

Area X BH1Depth 1 Depth n

Time 1

Time t

Data input

Project participant 1

Qua

lity

cont

rol

…

…

Project participant x

Special exports

Web access

tspnorway.comtspnorway.com



• European Monitoring Networks – Continental: PACE transect– National: Permafrost Monitoring Switzerland (PERMOS), TSP Norway– New boreholes in Alpine countries (PermaNET, e.g. Zugspitze, Aiguille du

Midi)

• Observed Parameters (e.g., in PERMOS)– Temperatures in boreholes, near-surface temperatures in the region– Ice and water content with ERT monitoring– Kinematics of creep processes (terrestrial survey and photogrammetry)– Inventory of rapid mass movements from permafrost areas

Monitoring Mountain PermafrostMonitoring Mountain Permafrost


International Permafrost AssociationPERMOS Borehole Temperatures PERMOS Borehole Temperatures

source: permos


International Permafrost AssociationBorehole Results 2009Borehole Results 2009PACE and PERMOS Site Schilthorn2970 m asl, Bernese Alps

Max. ALT 2003: 8.55 mMax. ALT 2009: 6.99 m

source: permos



Achievements and ChallengesAchievements and Challenges

• New and re-activated boreholes and active layer measurements during the IPY

• Pilot real-time ISO-compliant temperature database (NORPERM)

• Standardization of methodologies and metadata format• Coordination largely based on the internal IPA structure, with

limited institutional support• Data delivery limited to regional initiatives



• GTN-P will devise a new strategy and action plan to address the growing dichotomy between its global reach and its current management capacity

• GTN-P will provide a snapshot on the thermal state of permafrost under the leadership of the IPA for June 2010

Future Strategy / RecommendationsFuture Strategy / Recommendations



Questions to GTOS SC & ActionsQuestions to GTOS SC & Actions

• GTOS SC to help identify the institutional partners with the capacity and expertise to host and support GTN-P’s central management.

• Cooperation with GCW on potential synergies between GTN-P and the upcoming Global Permafrost Watch (GPW)



ReportsReports

Documents

Hugues Lantuit IPA Secretariat IPA Standing Committee on Data, Information and Communication