Are you looking for permafrost data resources? This page provides a brief introduction to the largest collections of permafrost-related data, and where to look for more.
There are a number of agencies that collect and manage permafrost data across Canada. The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) manages the largest amounts of permafrost data, which includes extensive collections of geotechnical records, ground temperatures, and active-layer thicknesses, as well as other GSC publications such as maps and reports. Many of their data products are available to download for free through GEOSCAN. The Permafrost Information Network (PIN) is an openly available web portal for permafrost-related data. It is a federal-territorial collaboration that seeks to increase ease of access to datasets from multiple collections and repositories. Other Canadian government agencies that manage permafrost-related data include:
Northwest Territories Geological Survey (NTGS) Publications and Maps
Northwest Territories Discovery Portal
Yukon Geological Survey (YGS)
Canadian Ice Service (CIS)
A number of other agencies collect and manage Canadian permafrost-related data: regulatory agencies, territorial departments, research institutes, consultants, and academics. Regulatory agencies such as Land and Water Boards, Environmental Review Boards, and the National Energy Board often house environmental data and reports submitted as part of the environmental review process (see REGDOCS the Canada Energy Regulator activities database). Permafrost data may also be available in reports submitted to, or commissioned by territorial departments related to infrastructure, such as the Yukon Department of Highways and Public Works, or the NWT Department of Infrastructure. Northern Research Institutes such as the Nunavut Research Institute and the Aurora Research Institute in the NWT, receive copies of reports from all research undertaken in each of their respective territories, some of which will include research on permafrost. Consulting engineers, especially those that have operated in the territories for many years, may accumulate large data sets, however their data is typically proprietary. Data produced from academic research projects and collaborations may be stored: in online databases such as Nordicana D (a product of Université Laval), by research groups like NSERC PermafrostNet, or by individual researchers.
A large amount of international permafrost-related data from academic research collaborations is stored in data centers such as:
National Snow & Ice Data Center (NSIDC), which hosts a number of data sets including ice sheets, permafrost, sea ice, soil moisture and snow
Arctic Data Center, the primary data and software repository for the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs
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