Mapping of submarine permafrost on the western Arctic shelf - Research Affiliate Program - Research Affiliate Program

Duties
Context
The most extensive submarine permafrost in Canada is found in the western Arctic, where the seafloor provides essential ecosystem services, exhibits high biodiversity and productivity, and supports Indigenous traditional practices (ways of life). When eustatic sea level rose after the last glacial maximum, permafrost was submerged on the continental shelf and preserved throughout the Holocene, where deep-water temperatures remained below 0 °C. Recent studies have shown that ice-bonded permafrost forms and degrades along the Beaufort shelf and the upper continental slope, leading to a risk of widespread seafloor instability, but also uncertainty regarding carbon cycling, ocean acidification, greenhouse gas fluxes between sediments, the ocean, and the atmosphere, as well as potential impacts on ecosystem services.Recent studies conducted in northern Canada have identified different types of submarine permafrost, including relict permafrost (submerged terrestrial permafrost) and newly formed permafrost (fed by groundwater). These two types of permafrost occur at different depths beneath the seafloor and are likely influenced by different parameters. The thaw rate of relict permafrost is thought to be influenced by geothermal heat flux, whereas newly formed permafrost near the seabed may thaw or advance due to interactions with groundwater inputs, saltwater diffusion, and changes in water masses. The degradation of these two types of permafrost is likely to have important impacts that need to be quantified.Objectives
1 – Map the distribution of permafrost types
2 – Quantify carbon and methane fluxes associated with permafrost thaw
3 – Reconstruct the history of deep-water temperature and salinity during the Holocene

Intent of the process
The intention is to staff one student position for the completion of a PhD.

Positions to be filled
1

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Reliability Status security clearance

• The student will need to be registered at l’Institut des sciences de la mer de l’Université du Québec à Rimouski (ISMER-UQAR) for this PhD degree, where his/her advisor will be located, and reside in or close to Rimouski due to the location of the laboratories and fieldwork.
• The student must be ready to do regular field and lab work and irregular work hours.

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EDUCATION:
• The candidate must hold a master’s degree from a recognized university with a specialization in one of the following disciplines: geology, Earth sciences, geological engineering
• The candidate must be currently enrolled or willing to enroll at the l’Institut des sciences de la mer de l’Université du Québec à Rimouski (ISMER-UQAR).

EXPERIENCE:
• Experience with hydrography
• Experience with sedimentological analyses
• Experience with geochemical data

COMPETENCIES:
• Motivation
• Work efficiently in a collaborative team
• Autonomy

ABILITIES:
• Ability to communicate effectively orally
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing

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Applied / assessed at a later date

English or French

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Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.

Learn more about preference to veterans.

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