Canadian Water Resources Vulnerability Index - Permafrost Loss

Permafrost loss is pervasive across northern circumpolar regions. The loss of frozen ground has profound impacts on water resources at varying spatial and temporal scales via changes to predominant hydrological processes, runoff pathways and entrainment rates of solutes and sediments. Consensus exists that permafrost loss will continue, and rates will vary spatially, but how hydrology and biogeochemistry will respond across large swaths of land remains largely unknown. Previous research elucidated small-scale processes or described circumpolar trends, with minimal cross-scale research. In particular, a pan-Canadian assessment of water resource vulnerability to permafrost loss is lacking. This study develops and applies a framework for assessing vulnerability of pan-Canadian water resources to permafrost loss. For the purposes of this study, “water resources” is defined as the surface hydrological and aquatic chemistry regime characterized by water budgets, aquatic chemistry concentrations and loads. The framework was applied in developing the Canadian Water Resources Vulnerability Index to Permafrost Loss (CWRVIPL), including mapping of the index across the Canadian North. The CWRVIPL is a linearly additive index of permafrost, physiographic, disturbance and climatic conditions and stressors that influence water budgets and aquatic chemistry. Initial results imply aspects of water resources in northern Alberta, the Northwest Territories and the Hudson Bay Lowlands are most vulnerable to permafrost loss, and these regions are embedded in a large band of relatively more vulnerable territory extending from the northern Yukon south to James Bay and northeastward to Labrador. In the Arctic Archipelago, water resources in portions of Banks, Victoria and Baffin Islands are also relatively vulnerable to permafrost loss. The index identifies areas of water resource vulnerability on which to focus and encourage ongoing observation and research in the Canadian North.

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Metadata Record Information

File Identifier
70bbb27a-53e8-4259-bb0a-7688b5e954f5 XML
Date Stamp
2023-03-21T19:57:28
Metadata language

eng; CAN
Character set
UTF8
Hierarchy Level
Dataset
Point of contact
  Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; STB/WSTD/WHERD - Environment Canada ( Public enquiries )
Fontaine Building 12th floor, 200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd , Gatineau , Quebec , K1A 0H3 ,
1-800-668-6767
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change.html
 

Data identification

Date (Creation)
2019-09-01
Date (Publication)
2019-09-30
Status
Completed
Metadata language

eng; CAN
Character set
UTF8
Topic category
  • Inland waters
Maintenance and Update Frequency
Not planned
Spatial representation type
Vector
Principal investigator
  Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Science and Technology Branch/Water Science and Technology Directorate/Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division - Christopher Spence ( Research Scientist )
Canada

Keywords

Theme

  • Environmental Model

  • Permafrost, Water Quantity, Streamflow, Water Chemistry, Vulnerability, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

ECCC Information Category EN

  • Water

Business Functions

  • Expand Scientific Knowledge for Climate Monitoring and Prediction

  • Provide Climate Information Products and Services

Government of Canada Core Subject Thesaurus

  • Water

Geography

  • National (CA)

external.theme.EC_Directorate

  • Water Science and Technology

external.theme.EC_Branch

  • Science and Technology Branch

external.theme.GC_Security_Level

  • Unclassified
 
Use Limitation

Open Government Licence - Canada ( http://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada )

Access Constraints
License
Use Constraints
License
Begin Date
2019-08-19

Extent

N
S
E
W
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Ref. system Reference Systems

Reference system identifier
http://www.epsg-registry.org / EPSG:3978 /
 

Distribution

Distribution Formats

Distribution format
  • CSV ( unknown )

 
Distributor
  Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada - Environment and Climate Change Canada ( Public inquiries centre )
Fontaine Building 12th floor, 200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd , Gatineau , Quebec , K1A 0H3 ,
1-800-668-6767
http://ec.gc.ca
 
 

Overviews

overview
large_thumbnail

N
S
E
W
thumbnail


Keywords

Environmental Model Permafrost, Water Quantity, Streamflow, Water Chemistry, Vulnerability, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
Business Functions
Expand Scientific Knowledge for Climate Monitoring and Prediction Provide Climate Information Products and Services
ECCC Information Category EN
Water
Government of Canada Core Subject Thesaurus
Water
external.theme.EC_Branch
Science and Technology Branch
external.theme.EC_Directorate
Water Science and Technology
external.theme.GC_Security_Level
Unclassified

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