Thaw slumps, landscape change and critical infrastructure

Drone surveys were used to track the growth of thaw slumps in the Gwich’in, Sahtú and Inuvialuit Settlement regions and to calculate the amount of materials carried downslope.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Creator Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program
Summary The Dempster Highway is a critical link between Beaufort Delta communities and southern Canada. Northerners are concerned with permafrost related risks to infrastructure and public safety. Monitoring thaw slumps is important because they can impact infrastructure such as the Dempster Highway. Since 2011, drone surveys were used to track the growth of thaw slumps in the Gwich’in, Sahtú and Inuvialuit Settlement regions and to calculate the amount of materials carried downslope. Field monitoring guided the launch of a real-time surveillance system by the GNWT Department of Infrastructure (INF) to manage risks posed by thawing permafrost.
Local Relevance This research helps understand the vulnerability of the Dempster Highway and other infrastructure to damage from thaw slumps and landscape change caused by climate change. The Dempster Highway is a critical link between communities in the Beaufort Delta, NWT, and southern Canada.
Notes This bulletin is part of the Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program's NWT Environmental Research Bulletin series - Volume 6, Issue 27.
Tags Permafrost,Thaw Slumps,Landscape Change,Infrastructure,Drone,Dempster Highway,Research
Geographic Region
  • Beaufort Delta
  • Sahtu
Release Date 2021-01-01
Last Modified Date 2021-01-01
Funding Program Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program