Research Interests
I will be investigating the landscape controls over recent and historical permafrost disturbances on the Sabine Peninsula, Melville Island, Nunavut. Using aerial photographs collected in the 50’s and late 70’s various air photo interpretation techniques will be used to identify areas with permafrost disturbances which will then be mapped and compared to present day satellite imagery. With these time series datasets the spatial distribution of the permafrost disturbances will be reflected over time. Initial field work conducted in 2010 examined these controls across different bedrock formations of the Sverdrup Basin, which is host to many oil and natural gas reserves and widespread throughout the western Canadian High Arctic. Geotechnical parameters such as slope stability and effective stress analysis will be conducted in the 2011 field season to extensively examine the relationship between bedrock, surficial materials and the probability of slope failure. The overall goal of this study will be to develop a model to identify and assess areas in the High Arctic that are susceptible to high degrees of permafrost disturbance. As this model will be based on landscape terrains and features that are representative of much of the western Canadian High Arctic, it has the potential to be a widely used predictive tool for assessing the impact that a changing climate, land use and development may have on this sensitive region.
In 2009, I received my BES, Honours Geography joint Earth Science, from the University of Waterloo.
Supervisor: Dr. Scott Lamoureux
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Ashley Rudy (M.Sc. Candidate)