Description

Permafrost and the soil layer above the permafrost that freezes and thaws annually, known as the active layer, are directly affected by climate. It is anticipated that rising temperatures in the Arctic will lead to permafrost warming/melt and thickening of the active layer. Probable impacts of permafrost degradation on the tundra ecosystem include ground instability and changes to local hydrological patterns and surface vegetation. In 1999, a Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) Grid was installed in Quttinirpaaq National Park near Tanquary Fiord as part of an international program to monitor the effects of climate change on the active layer and near-surface permafrost. Active layer thickness measurements are taken each summer, at 100 points within the 100 m x 100 m grid, using a metal probe. Active layer depth measurements, thaw depth at the time of monitoring and maximum thaw depth, are also monitored using a thaw tube. To examine the thermal characteristics of the soil active layer, a HOBO Micro Station, with one above-ground and 5 below-ground temperature sensors, was installed nearby the CALM Grid in 2015. The temperature data, recorded every 2 hours throughout the year, are downloaded from dataloggers on an annual basis.

Resources

Name	Format	Description	Link
Active Layer - Quttinirpaaq - Characteristics of the Active Layer Data - 3	CSV		https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/5e8d13ca-2af8-4335-b770-20b898a5b530/resource/1eb7bb03-374a-42e4-912e-552d13f0175e/download/quttinirpaaq_np_tundra_active_layer_2017-2019_data_3.csv
Active Layer - Quttinirpaaq - Thermal Characteristics of the Active Layer Data - 2	CSV		https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/5e8d13ca-2af8-4335-b770-20b898a5b530/resource/2ad42f51-86c2-4112-8276-357b45f1d142/download/quttinirpaaq_np_tundra_active_layer_2015-2019_data_2.csv
Active Layer - Quttinirpaaq - Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring Grid Data - 1	CSV		https://open.canada.ca/data/dataset/5e8d13ca-2af8-4335-b770-20b898a5b530/resource/96ac4528-5b8c-40db-a0fc-d236c2c8ddd2/download/quttinirpaaq_np_tundra_active_layer_1999-2025_data_1_calm-grid.csv

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