Utility of hyper-resolution Lidar as a tool for planetary geomorphology in the Canadian High Arctic, Lightning Talk (7 min)

London, Ontario

Permafrost underlies 50% of the Canada’s terrain and underlies 24% of the world land area. It is one of the major driving forces in the generation and evolution of patterned ground landforms (i.e. polygons, stone circles, mud boils, stripes, etc.) that are seen on both the surface of the Earth and other planetary bodies specifically in periglacial domains. The Canadian High Arctic, particularly Axel Heiberg Island (ᐅᒥᖕᒪᑦ ᓄᓈᑦ) and Devon Island (ᑕᓪᓗᕈᑎᑦ) are unique domains that host a variety of patterned ground landforms. Looking at these areas, we want to better understand the mechanisms and evolution of permafrost in the high arctic as well as quantify periglacial patterned ground geomorphology using GIS (i.e. KDE analysis, ArcGIS, CloudCompare). This research gives insight to periglacial landsystems and their significance not only for arctic and planetary analogue science, but also as a tool for hazard analysis and freshwater resources for communities in high arctic regions.

https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wlgisday/2020/lighteningtalks/25