Arctic Permafrost Active Layer Thickness and Temperature Measurements from Sirmilik

Two Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) grids installed in 2008 and 2009 at Sirmilik National Park measure active layer thickness at 100 points each summer. HOBO Micro Stations installed in 2012 record soil temperature data every 2 hours throughout the year. This dataset from Parks Canada monitors the effects of climate change on near-surface permafrost in the Canadian Arctic.

Use Cases

• Modeling active layer thickness trends based on annual probe measurements at 100 grid points.
• Analyzing soil thermal regime changes based on 2-hourly temperature data from above- and below-ground sensors.
• Assessing ground instability and hydrological changes in tundra ecosystems based on thaw depth monitoring.
• Validating climate change impact projections for the Arctic based on long-term permafrost monitoring data.

Strengths

• Data collection follows an established international monitoring program (CALM) protocol.
• Temperature data is recorded at a high temporal resolution (every 2 hours) throughout the year.
• Active layer thickness is measured systematically at 100 points within each 100m x 100m grid.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the two specific sites in Sirmilik National Park.

Provenance

Source

Parks Canada

Collection Method

Field measurements using metal probes and thaw tubes for active layer depth, and HOBO Micro Stations with temperature sensors.

Time Range

Monitoring began in 2008/2009 for active layer, 2012 for temperature; likely ongoing.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-14 19:32:32.285244; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Two sites in Sirmilik National Park, Nunavut, Canada: Bylot Island and the Borden Peninsula.