
Researchers set up permafrost thaw alert system on major Yukon-Alaska highway
CBC
A small metal rod stands tall at kilometre 1456 on the Alaska Highway, as the land behind it starts to collapse from permafrost thaw.
It's the first device of a new alarm system that will tell Yukon's Department of Highways and Public Works when the road is under threat from further destruction from permafrost thaw.
"It's very concerning to have this type of process, the ripping, so close to the road corridor," Dr. Fabrice Calmels, research chair of geoscience at YukonU Research Centre, told CBC News.
We want to develop a system to remediate these types of issues, and protect the road from these hazards."
Permafrost is any ground that is completely frozen for at least two consecutive years. In the Yukon, that means there is a thick layer of ice underneath the ground's surface.
At this spot, known as the Takhini Slump by Calmels and his team, it's thawing at faster rates than ever before.
Calmels and his researchers first came to this site two years ago to start their research. At that time, the slump was 95 metres from the road. Now, it's 40 metres away.