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ClimateSeverity: High

Permafrost thaw in Arctic Canada

Warming is thawing permanently frozen ground, damaging infrastructure and changing northern landscapes and ways of life.

Arctic Canada · Canada

01 · The problem

What is happening

Canada's Changing Climate Report (2019) found that northern Canada has warmed at about three times the global rate. Permafrost — ground that stays frozen for at least two consecutive years — underlies much of the territories. As it thaws, the ground can slump, damaging buildings, roads, airstrips and pipelines, and releasing carbon. Changes in sea ice, snow and weather also affect Inuit hunting, travel and food security.

High severity. Serious, widespread effects requiring sustained action. Severity is descriptive editorial metadata summarising documented effects. It is not a measured index or a score.

02 · Causes

Why it is happening

  1. 01

    Rapid Arctic warming

    Northern Canada is warming much faster than the global average.

  2. 02

    Loss of snow and ice cover

    Reduced reflective cover amplifies warming.

03 · Impacts

Who and what it affects

  1. 01

    Infrastructure damage

    Thaw settlement damages foundations, roads and airstrips.

  2. 02

    Risk to traditional travel and food

    Unpredictable ice conditions make travel and hunting more dangerous.

  3. 03

    Carbon release

    Thawing permafrost can release carbon dioxide and methane.

  4. 04

    Coastal erosion

    Reduced sea ice exposes coasts to wave erosion.

04 · Solutions

Documented approaches

  1. Permafrost-aware engineering

    Thermosyphons, adjustable foundations and site-specific design.

    Expected effectExtends the life of northern infrastructure.

  2. Community-based monitoring

    Inuit-led monitoring of ice, land and wildlife, such as SmartICE.

    Expected effectImproves safety and informs decisions.

  3. Adaptation planning

    Territorial and community adaptation plans.

    Expected effectPrioritises investment in at-risk infrastructure.

Explore an illustrative What-If

05 · Key indicators

What can be measured

Warming rate
About three times the global rate

Northern Canada, per Canada's Changing Climate Report (2019).

06 · Sources

Where this comes from

  1. [1]Canada's Changing Climate ReportGovernment of Canada · Apr 2019changingclimate.ca(opens in a new tab)
  2. [2]Natural Resources CanadaGovernment of Canadanatural-resources.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
  3. [3]Arctic Report CardNOAAarctic.noaa.gov(opens in a new tab)

Links open the publishing organisation's site. Some point to the publisher's main page, where the named report or dataset can be found.

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