Dr. Christopher Burns: Permafrost science heats up: understanding and preparing for change in northern landscapes | L’étude du pergélisol s’active : comprendre les changements au paysage nordique et s’y préparer

Chistopher Burn, Carleton University

Thursday February 4, 2016

Climate change is the talk of the town these days. Not a day goes by without news about its effects. Much attention focuses on the potential release of organic carbon as frozen ground melts. In Canada, where a third of the country is underlain by permafrost, the stability of soils is an urgent concern. Chris Burn is working to identify the elements of these ancient Ice Age landscapes that are most vulnerable to melting. His goal is to identify engineering design and management practices that can keep northern infrastructure secure as the ground literally subsides beneath it. Dr. Christopher Burn, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University, has won national and international awards for excellence in understanding the permafrost environment and the history of human relationship with the land in the western Arctic. From 2002-2012, he was NSERC’s Northern Research Chair in Permafrost in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. His contributions have been made in partnership with a wide range of organizations including many local Indigenous agencies.