Distribution of saline permafrost in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract

Saline permafrost has a detrimental impact on the performance of foundations. Increased pore-water salinity decreases the strength and increases the deformation susceptibility of permafrost and foundations installed in permafrost. A data base of the distribution of saline permafrost in the Northwest Territories shows high pore-water salinities beneath coastal communities and at locations along the upper Mackenzie Valley and within the Mackenzie Delta. Salinity of inland sites is usually low. High salinities are usually associated with ice-poor materials and are linked with previous marine submergence associated with glacial events. Key words : permafrost, saline distribution, measurements, Quaternary geology.