The development of Kangiqsualujjuaq and the threat of snow avalanches in a permafrost degradation context, Nunavik, Canada

• Published in: Espace populations sociétés
• Main Authors: Decaulne, Armelle, Bhiry, Najat, Faucher-Roy, Janie, Boily, Clara Pelletier
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille 2021
• Subjects: village nordique; versants; couche active; croissance démographique; avalanches; Canada; Nordic village; slopes; active layer; demographic growth; snow avalanches; geo; envir; Kangiqsualujjuaq; Nunavik; inuit; permafrost
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/eps/10497

Slope processes are active in the rolling plateau landscapes of Nunavik, Northern Québec, Canada. There are a few short but very steep escarpments in this region. On January 1st, 1999 a powerful snow avalanche struck Kangiqsualujjuaq, one of the 14 Inuit villages in Nunavik. Nine people died and 25 were injured. This village and its surrounding are located within a glacial valley, in a periglacial environment. There is significant population growth, as well as in the other villages in Nunavik. As early as 1999-2000, there was a significant spatial reorganization of the village's infrastructures to avoid the impact of other snow-avalanche events. The main objective of this paper is to examine the village expansion in response to snow-avalanche process and population growth, within an area constrained with permafrost thawing and steep slopes. From naturalist geomorphologic methods, written sources such as archive documents and aerial photographs, the results show that slopes above Kangiqsualujjuaq are prone to release snow avalanches during blizzards from uncommon directions, and that the newly built housing may be at risk in some places, due to the conjunction of snow avalanches and permafrost thawing. Dans les paysages de plateaux ondulés du Nunavik, au nord du Québec, au Canada, les processus de versant sont actifs. Les escarpements sont rares et courts, mais sont significativement pentus. Le 1er janvier 1999, une avalanche mortelle a touché le village de Kangiqsualujjuaq, l’un des 14 villages du Nunavik neuf personnes ont perdu la vie, et 25 ont été blessées. Les expertises déclenchées par cet événement ont mis en lumière au moins quatre avalanches antérieures durant les années 1980-1990. Le village et ses environs sont localisés dans une vallée glaciaire, en environnement périglaciaire, et connaissent une forte pression démographique, comparable à celle des autres villages du Nunavik. Dès 1999-2000, la réorganisation spatiale des infrastructures du village est visible afin d’éviter l’impact d’autres ...