Research summary
Transportation infrastructure is essential to northern communities, Arctic security, Canada’s national sovereignty, and economic growth. But climate change is accelerating permafrost thaw across northern Canada, resulting in ground settlement, thaw subsidence, and slope instabilities. Dr. Ryley Beddoe, Canada Research Chair in Permafrost Engineering, is developing adaptation strategies that will protect infrastructure across the Canadian Arctic from the effects of a warming climate.
Beddoe is using physical and numerical modelling to understand current and future rates of permafrost thaw. She and her research team are also identifying the tipping points and triggering mechanisms that indicate when intervention will be needed. By working with communities and other researchers, Beddoe aims to develop engineering solutions that will improve the resilience and lifespan of infrastructure in permafrost regions.