Permafrost Development in the Intertidal Zone at Churchill, Manitoba: A Possible Mechanism for Accelerated Beach Lift

Boreholes drilled in the Beech Bay area during July to November 1929 indicated that a sill of permafrost had extended below the high-water line, tapering in depth towards low water. The boreholes revealed thick layers of fine sediments on top of deep underlain bedrock. Recent borings determined the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ARCTIC
Main Authors: Hansell, Roger I.C., Scott, Peter A., Staniforth, Richard, Svoboda, Josef
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 1983
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Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/65315
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Summary:Boreholes drilled in the Beech Bay area during July to November 1929 indicated that a sill of permafrost had extended below the high-water line, tapering in depth towards low water. The boreholes revealed thick layers of fine sediments on top of deep underlain bedrock. Recent borings determined the upper limits of permafrost in 1981. Examination of the data shows that there has been a permafrost expansion into the emerging tidal zone. These observations suggest an additional mechanism for accelerated uplift of coastal exposed "soft" sediments: the vertical expansion of refrozen, water-saturated silts and clays as new permafrost forms. The existing rates of isostatic uplift are enhanced by the process.Key words: permafrost, active zone, isostatic uplift, Breech Bay, Churchill, Hudson Bay Des carottes prises dans la région de la baie Beech entre juillet et novembre 1929 ont indiqué qu'un seuil de pergélisol s'étendait au-dessous du niveau des hautes mers, diminuant en profondeur en approchant le niveau des basses mers. Les carottes révèlant des couches épaisses de fins sédiments reposant sur un profond soubassement. Des carottes récentes ont déterminé les limites supérieures du pergélisol en 1981. L'étude des données signales une expansion du pergélisol dans la zone intertidale surgissante. Ces observations suggèrent un mécanisme additionnel accélérant la levée des sédiments "mous" exposés le long des côtes par l'expansion verticale de vases et de glaises saturés d'eau et congelées à nouveau sous de nouvelles formes de pergélisol. Le taux de levée isostatique est augmenté par le processus.Mots clés: pergélisol, zone active, levée isostatique, baie Beech, la baie d'Hudson